


Ravnica at War

by BeautifulDuwang



Category: Magic: The Gathering (Card Game)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Gen, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:54:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 119,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21601072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautifulDuwang/pseuds/BeautifulDuwang
Summary: A retelling of the War of the Spark novel, with the tone, events, and writing quality that the story deserves. Planeswalkers are being drawn to the plane of Ravnica by a mysterious Beacon, including a fractured Gatewatch. Once there, the twisted machinations of Nicol Bolas become realized, and they must do everything they can to stop his plans from coming to fruition.
Relationships: Chandra Nalaar/Nissa Revane, Tomik Vrona/Ral Zarek
Comments: 20
Kudos: 28





	1. Ignite the Beacon

Ral Zarek felt a wave of nausea wash over his body, and it had nothing to do with standing on the edge of a fifty-story bell tower window during a thunderstorm. When one channels the raw power of lightning through their body daily, things like heights and storms don't tend to be an issue. No, what caused Ral's stomach to clench harder than a pair of Rakdos thumbscrews was what was happening inside the bell tower. For it was here that he was building a device to stop the apocalypse.

Suddenly, a squealing voice pierced through Ral's disquieted mind. "Where'd ya want me to load the backup mizzium core?" Chief Chemister Varryvort asked. Ral stared at the goblin, who barely came up to his knees, as he hefted a glass cylinder full of swirling silver-blue energy over his shoulder. A second passed, and Ral said nothing. Then, it finally hit him that a question had been asked, and he quickly shook his head and met the goblin's red-tinted goggles.

"Sorry, yeah, attach it parallel to the central core, but on the opposite side of the shielding generator."

"Gotcha," Varryvort nodded warily. He turned from Ral and scurried to the massive device that sat in the middle of the bell tower, ducking underneath its chassis to attach the battery.

"Everything alright, Ral?"

He felt an armored hand squeeze his shoulder, and he turned to see Lavinia's concerned face staring back at him. Any other day, he would be frightened to see the former Azorius law-mage showing any overt emotions, but his relief at seeing a friend won out.

"Yeah. Yeah, everything's great," he said, wiping the massive collection of sweat from his brow.

A second voice interjected. "Really? 'cause you're looking a little corpse-y at the moment." Hekara the razorwitch poked the long metal canister on Ral's back with a pointed fingernail. His frame stiffened in surprise at the metallic ringing. "See, rigor mortis is already setting in!" She laughed, but neither Ral nor Lavinia cracked a smile. He kept his back to the witch, while Lavinia turned to address her.

"Hekara, that is wholly unnecessary," she shot, her face returning to stony resolve. "We've all been through a lot these past weeks, Ral is understandably shaken."

"Why?" Hekara asked, black tufts of hair swinging into her face as she cocked her head. "We were all there at the meeting, you and I saw the same thing he did. C'mon, you have to admit that it was kinda funny. Could've been a headline act at a Rakdos revue."

Ral suddenly turned to Hekara. "There is nothing funny about what happened!" he shouted, his temper flaring. "We saw our ally betray us, a guild leader die, and our chance of uniting this city petrify before our eyes! Now we're stuck here working on plan B while a multiversal threat could show up at any second. What about that is funny to you?!"

Ral's chest heaved as he finished his tirade. Hekara's eyes were wide, not with fear or worry, but with surprise and just a touch of her trademark unflappable glee. Ral dared not look at Lavinia, for he knew that her face had returned to how it had been just moments before; concerned.

"Sorry," he offered curtly, before slinking back from them towards the device that loomed over him. He stared at the Interplanar Beacon, the massive, complex machine that he had been tasked to build. But as he stared at the collection of chrome and wire, gauges and knobs, all he could see was a monument to his failure.

Ral Zarek was a high-ranking guildmage in the Izzet League, and he had been acting as the right hand to its leader, the great dragon Niv-Mizzet, for quite a while now. Ral had always regarded Niv-Mizzet as either a nuisance in his way or a foe he would have to vanquish, but recent developments had forced him to act in the dragon's defense. They had learned of an incoming danger, one so severe and far-reaching that everyone on Ravnica needed to join if they hoped to defeat it. Apparently, Nicol Bolas, the great Elder Dragon, was coming any day now to carry out some manner of evil plan. With the Living Guildpact, the individual bestowed with the combined might of all ten guilds of Ravnica, nowhere to be seen, the city needed a new binding protector, and Niv-Mizzet was more than happy to volunteer for the position.

This had led to the meeting, with a representative from each guild in attendance. Though it only happened a week or so ago, it felt like ages had passed since then. Ral thought he had made enough allies to sway everyone to give Niv-Mizzet the power he needed, to give Ravnica a fighting chance. But then one of his allies betrayed him, and he could do nothing to stop it…

"Zarek!" called a voice overhead.

Ral snapped out of his clouded stupor just in time to see a dark-skinned figure materialize through the ceiling in an aura of purple light. Kaya, ghost-assassin and impromptu leader of the Orzhov Syndicate, landed deftly on the ground before him and leveled a serious look at the lightning mage.

"They've spotted us, haven't they?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kaya responded as she shook the rain from her curly black afro. "Looked like a squadron of about 20 of those damned thopters. They scanned the place, so no doubt Baan knows what we're doing here."

"That slimy weasel," Lavinia spat at the mention of Dovin Baan. Ral shared her sentiment, though he knew he could only possibly feel a fraction of her anger. After all, it was only because of his former ally's treachery that the leader of the Azorius Senate was murdered, allowing Baan to work his way in and take the vacant position. Ral, Kaya, Lavinia, and Hekara knew that Baan was in league with Nicol Bolas, but the higher-ups within the Senate cared not ever since he wowed them with his fantastical inventions. The thopters that Kaya reported were everywhere nowadays, keeping their filigree eyes on every citizen of Ravnica.

 _No wonder those bureaucrats couldn't wait to kiss his blue ass,_ Ral mused, _he delivered them a surveillance state on a silver platter._

"How much longer 'til this thing's ready to go?" Kaya asked.

Ral gave the machine a once-over. "Only a few more minutes to tighten everything up, then another few minutes to charge it."

"Well you'd better hurry. I'd say those thopters only give you three minutes before that pompous vedalken shows up to shut everything down."

Ral smirked. "I'd love to see him try."

Hekara slapped a hand on Ral's shoulder. "Now there's the Ral Zarek we know and love, back from the dead!" she beamed. "No need to pout about mean ol' Vraska when there's work to be done!"

Everyone stiffened at the mention of Vraska, queen of the Golgari Swarm and former ally to everyone present. Ral grit his teeth in frustration.

_That damn gorgon! She worked with us, side by side, to get that meeting planned. She put the full support of the Swarm behind Niv-Mizzet's plan to become the Living Guildpact. With her, we had the majority. And she betrayed us to that blasted dragon! Gods only knows where she is now. The next time I hurl a lightning bolt at her, I won't hesitate._

Ral was almost taken aback by the violent thought. Sure, he was angry at Vraska for dismantling their entire plan, but he never fancied himself a ruthless killer.

_Maybe that's the problem. If I hadn't paused, if I hadn't tried to see a single twinge of regret on Vraska's face, I could've blasted her before she planeswalked to whatever shithole she's hiding in now. I've had Bolas in my head before, and so has Kaya, but we were able to slip out and defy him. Maybe Vraska wasn't strong enough, or maybe she really wanted to help._

"Ral," Lavinia cut in, her even voice bringing him back to reality, "if you scowl that much, the wrinkles will never go away."

He offered a wry smile as thanks, then suddenly wished it had been more genuine. He turned to look at the three women standing before him, and a wave of gratitude washed over him for having allies that he could trust now. Even Hekara, whom Ral had often discarded as a useless, chaotic distraction, brought him mild comfort in this eleventh hour.

"Alright Ral, the Beacon's all set up." Varryvort wiped his grease-stained forearm across his perspiring brow and patted the machine, clearly proud of his handiwork. "Everything's lookin' good, if I do say so myself."

"Excellent Varry, you're not the Chief Chemister for nothing."

A toothy grin spread across the goblin's face. "And don't you forget it, pal, 'specially when a promotion crosses Niv's desk."

"Trust me, if all goes well, the dragon'll probably give you my job."

This seemed to delight Varryvort so much, his red goggles started to fog over. Ral couldn't help but smile. _At least someone's happy to be here._ He cast a wayward glance over his shoulder to Hekara, who was currently attempting to cartwheel before Lavinia, no doubt trying to crack her impassable façade. _Well, someone who isn't a total psychopath, at least._

"Alright everyone, I need to all to get against the wall." Ral started turning the switches on the Accumulator, the large cylinder he carried on his back that acted as a backup battery for his electricity. It emitted a low whine as it primed, and the display on his bronze gauntlet sprang to life.

 _68% charged_ , Ral read from the holographic display. _Good thing I haven't charged it recently, wouldn't want the damn thing overloading._

"Lavinia, open the window! And everyone, get ready to shield your eyes!"

Lavinia quickly moved to the large vaulted window of the bell tower, undid the latch, and pushed them aside. A strong wind forced its way into the cramped quarters, nearly knocking Lavinia and Hekara off their feet. Rain began to dot the wooden floors, and the sound of thunder cracking overhead filled the space all the way to the vaulted ceiling.

Once Ral confirmed that everyone was a safe distance away and hugging the grounded wall, he placed his gauntleted hand and placed it against the Beacon's chrome side. Then, he channeled forth the stormmage magic deep in his chest, then flung his hand in the direction of the window.

A bolt of lightning arced through the open window with a monstrous _CRACK_ and collided with Ral's outstretched hand. The surge of raw energy made Ral's hair stand on end. He felt the lightning bolt pass through his fingertips, make its way into the Accumulator, then flow back through his other hand into the Beacon. His eyes watched as the meter reading the device's power began to steadily rise. He smiled as the lightning, along with a rush of adrenaline, pumped through his veins.

 _It's working,_ he silently cheered. _That damn dragon may be a blowhard, but he does know his engineering._

Kaya, Hekara, and Lavinia watched as the lightning bolt persisted across the room, filling it with an ethereal bluish light. Kaya reveled in the sight of Ral's use of storm magic. Though her intangibility and power to kill the undead were useful, they simply weren't as flashy.

But then, somehow over the sound of the crackling electricity and the swirling winds, Kaya heard something outside, a high-pitched buzzing that she knew all too well.

 _Those damned thopters again_ , she scowled internally. Kaya knew it would still be a little while before the Beacon was ready, so she needed to scope the perimeter and see how much time she could buy. With a swift thought, she made her head and neck intangible and stuck it through the brick wall.

She saw the thopters, about ten or so winged mechanisms no larger than falcons, cutting their way across the late-night Ravnica skyline. But it was who accompanied these thopters that sent a chill through her spine. It wasn't the blue humanoid figure of Dovin Baan perched atop his creations, but a massive gold dragon flapping its wings, with two pointed horns that curved inward, and a golden gem floating between them.

_Bolas!_

As if sensing his name in her thoughts, the dragon looked to Kaya's head protruding from the tower wall and flashed a curling smile full of razor-sharp teeth.

 _KAYA, HOW NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN._ His monstrous telepathy pierced Kaya's brain like a javelin, making her shrink back in pain. _WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ALERT MR. ZAREK TO MY ARRIVAL?_ The dragon offered a small chuckle, accentuated by a large flap of his wings, and he continued his path straight for them.

Kaya pulled her head back in and tried to catch her breath, ragged from the sudden terror of seeing Nicol Bolas again. Once she regained her composure, she shouted to Ral, her voice straining over the lightning.

"Zarek! You need to hurry! He's here, he's coming right for us!"

"Who, Baan?" Hekara asked. She was ducking just beneath the massive lightning bolt, and though she addressed Kaya, her eyes were fixated on the light above and her hand, which danced dangerously close to the energy.

"NO, BOLAS!" Ral yelled across the floor to them. As soon as Bolas had broached Kaya's mind, Ral felt it as well. The creeping miasma of the Elder Dragon's psychic energy was impossible to forget.

Ral looked at the Beacon's power meter. _About halfway there._ He knew he needed to hurry, but as strong as his magic was, he couldn't make electricity move any faster than the speed of light it was already travelling at.

"What should we do?" Kaya called out over the din. "We can't stop him like this."

Ral turned to her and, through gritted teeth, managed a small grin. "We don't need to stop him, we just need our distraction to show up."

Before Kaya could question his vague message, a new sound came from outside, one that drowned out all others with a bellowing resonance. Kaya thought for a moment that this was the roar of the Elder Dragon declaring his incoming victory, but then another cry followed, this time coalescing into a single word.

"BOLAS!"

Kaya phased her head through the wall once more. She saw Bolas, still flanked by a cloud of thopters, but he was no longer looking at the bell tower. Instead, she traced his eyeline down in time to see a huge red dragon barrel through the rain towards him.

Niv-Mizzet collided with Bolas, catching the Elder Dragon in the stomach with his right wing. Bolas seemed to be caught off guard, and in the split-second of realization, Niv slashed his claws across Bolas' chest.

The Elder Dragon did not flinch, and he grabbed Niv by the arm and wrenched it away violently. Despite their distance from the bell tower, Kaya could hear a _SNAP_ as Bolas' grip crushed Niv's humerus.

Undeterred, Niv sunk his razor-sharp teeth into Bolas' arm. Even with his immense strength, Niv only broke a couple of Bolas' scales, and his grip did not lessen. Both dragons refused to let go of one another, so Bolas raised his free hand as he readied to swipe down on the prone Niv-Mizzet. The dragon, however, anticipated the movement, and using his bite as leverage, swung a wide kick that caught Nicol Bolas across the cheek.

Bolas' head jerked to the side, and Kaya silently cheered as she saw three distinct lines on Bolas' face where a layer of scales had been ripped by Niv's talons. Her excitement quickly deadened as she watched Bolas' eyes begin to glow a deep purple, nearly black.

 _I GROW WEARY OF THIS GAME, YOUNG ONE._ Bolas' telepathic message exploded across the stormy sky, engulfing the bell tower and its inhabitants with his contempt. Kaya had felt this energy before, it signaled Bolas' mind warping ability, something that she had been lucky enough to avoid in her dealings with the dragon.

 _You don't need to brainwash an assassin to do your dirty work,_ she thought. _But a hostile dragon…_

She watched in transfixed horror as waves of deep purple energy flowed up Bolas' horns and radiated from their tips. They washed over Niv-Mizzet, bathing him in an unnatural glow. Bolas smiled as Niv-Mizzet released his bite, and the dragons' eyes met. Then, Niv-Mizzet let loose a thunderous roar, one that shook the very foundation of the bell tower, and he dragged his free hand down the length of Bolas' exposed chest.

"If you think your mind is stronger than my own," Niv rumbled, "then perhaps you are not the master strategist they make you out to be."

In one swift motion, Niv wrenched free his broken arm and swung it wildly at Bolas. His hand bent back at an unnatural angle, one that tied Kaya's guts in a knot just by watching, but the force was enough to leave another few lines of carved-out scales.

Bolas staggered back in the air and raised a hand to his chest. A cerulean light appeared in his palm, and he raised it to the gashes on his underbelly.

Niv bellowed: "No, Bolas, there will be no time to heal."

The red dragon reared back his head and unleashed a blistering cone of flames from his mouth. They ran red and blue, magically enhanced by Niv's own abilities. All rain in their vicinity instantly evaporated, creating a thin mist around the combatants. The thopters that had hovered around the Elder Dragon began to melt rapidly, their liquified remains mixing with the falling rain. In an instant, Bolas was engulfed, his entire body enshrouded in fire hotter than a volcano's basin.

Niv hovered in the air, grasping his now completely shattered arm. "And to think I asked those ungrateful guild leaders for their power," the dragon mused, staring into the flames. "I may not have foreseen this victory, but I will accept it nonetheless."

Kaya let a smile creep onto her face. _I can't believe he did it! Ral told me himself that Niv-Mizzet's breath could melt anything it touched. There's no way th-_

And just as soon as the smile appeared on Kaya's face, it disappeared, replaced with a mask of pure dread. All she could do was watch as a golden arm, claws bared like a cobra's fangs, materialized out of the inferno and grabbed ahold of Niv-Mizzet's right wing. Then another hand shot out and grabbed Niv's other wing. Finally, the body of Nicol Bolas stepped out of the fire, his scales glittering from the light that had done no damage.

Niv shrank away from the imposing visage that approached him. The dragon tried to fly away, but Bolas only sunk his claws deeper into the thin membrane of his wings.

Bolas scoffed. _YOU THINK YOU ARE ABOVE ME, DON'T YOU NIV-MIZZET? A MIND UNPARALLELED, A POWER UNCHALLENGED. YOU THINK YOURSELF A GOD AMONG MORTALS. BUT YOU ARE NO GOD._

Bolas snapped Niv's right wing with a flick of his wrist, the cracking bones and sinew echoing across the sky, followed promptly by Niv-Mizzet's scream of pain.

_YOU ARE NO MASTERMIND._

He snapped Niv's left wing.

_YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A PETULANT CHILD BEFORE ME._

Bolas wrapped his slinking tail around Niv-Mizzet's throat. The dragon tried raising his arms to claw at it, but the torrent of pain rushing through his body left his arms limp by his side. Then, with a gruesomely spectacular flourish, Nicol Bolas ripped the two wings from Niv-Mizzet's back.

Kaya gasped in abject terror as the Parun of the Izzet League let out a cry of pain she could only hope she would never experience. The sound was almost pathetic, like a fearsome lion brought to a mewling kitten by a thorn in its paw. She felt sympathy for the dragon, whom she had regarded as another know-it-all scientist and schemer. But then, she heard something follow the pained shout, a deep, halting laughter emanating from Niv's restricted windpipe.

"You think you have beaten me," he choked out, "but this victory is only temporary. I have seen through your plan, Nicol Bolas, and it will never succeed."

Nicol Bolas smirked. _THE DYING WORDS OF A FAILED GENIUS. THIS IS THE END FOR YOU, YOUNG ONE. YOUR FIRE IS IMPRESSIVE, BUT YOU'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN TO LEARN ITS WAYS. BEFORE YOU TOOK YOUR FIRST BREATH, BEFORE THIS PLANE SPROUTED ITS FIRST BLADE OF GRASS, BEFORE THE MULTIVERSE HAD BLINKED, I ALREADY MASTERED THE FLAME._

Bolas took a deep breath in through his nostrils, parted his reptilian lips, and loosed an enormous burst of azure flame. The fire took over Niv-Mizzet's body in an instant, even reaching up to the sundered wings in Bolas' clutches. The dragon tried to scream, but between the tail around his neck and the fire sloughing through his open mouth, no sound emerged.

The heat from Bolas' breath flew past Niv-Mizzet, making its way to the bell tower's open windows. The room was suddenly rocked by the force of the heatwave. Everyone in the tower was buffeted by the wind, their skin nearly burning from the intense temperature. The seven-foot windows shattered above them, raining down shards of glass. Lavinia raised her cloak overhead, while Hekara stuck her tongue out like a child trying to catch snowflakes. Luckily, Ral maintained his footing and kept the lightning bolt uninterrupted.

The fire raged for only a few seconds, and when it finally died down, Niv-Mizzet, leader of the Izzet League, planned Living Guildpact, and last Ravnican line of defense, was nothing more than a charred skeleton.

Bolas let go of the bones, tossing them to the ground below like a child discarding a broken toy. His head then snapped to Kaya's, and he gave her another toothy grin that nearly froze her blood. She quickly pulled her head back into the bell tower.

"Ral," she shouted, "Niv is down. How much longer?"

Ral had been trying desperately to focus on his job of charging the Beacon, ignoring the clashes and screams from the battle outside. Even as the window behind him shattered and the force of Bolas' attack smothered him, he remained focused on the task at hand. He looked to the meter. It was nearly full.

"Another thirty seconds and we should be done!" he yelled to Kaya.

Her eyes widened with surprise. She phased her head through the wall once more, and saw Nicol Bolas hovering steadily in midair, exactly where he had incinerated Niv-Mizzet a moment earlier.

 _He's not moving,_ she thought, a twinge of happiness penetrating her thoughts. _Even if he started now, he wouldn't reach us in time. He's too far away, and once the Beacon is activated, there's not a being alive that can shut it off. Did we actually pull it off?_

Then something happened that shook Kaya's confidence to the core. Though Nicol Bolas hovered far away, she saw his horns begin to glow with purple light. The light flowed from the tips and traveled out in subsequent amethyst waves. It was only a fraction of a second before the psychic energy overtook the bell tower.

_No!_

Kaya quickly pulled her head inside. She swiftly turned to Hekara, who was still sitting next to her. She smiled, her teeth smeared with blood from the falling shards, and waved to the reemerged Kaya.

Kaya only had time to yell two words: "Look out!"

Unfortunately, those words were too late, and as Hekara cocked her head in confusion, Lavinia's blade slashed her throat. She gurgled unintelligibly in Kaya's direction, and for the first time in the span of Kaya knowing her, Hekara's eyes showed fear at the sight of her own blood.

Lavinia's eyes shone purple light in Kaya's direction, and her fingers tightened around her small dagger. In a flash, Lavinia leapt at Kaya, blade held back and ready to strike.

Kaya activated her intangibility, waiting for Lavinia to fly through her body so she could subdue her. Before Lavinia reached Kaya, however, she was met with a small bolt of lightning. It slammed her against the tower wall, knocking her out and leaving her cloak smoldering.

Both Ral and Kaya looked at one another, their breathing increasingly labored. They shared a look, both knowing what was about to happen. Though Nicol Bolas could not control the minds of planeswalkers, it still took all their strength to stay conscious against the raging storm he had placed in and around their minds.

Kaya was the first to succumb, her eyes closing and body slurping to the floor.

Ral turned away from her and to the Beacon. He fell to his knees and looked to the full meter on its display panel. He fought and fought against the dragon's mind magic, but he knew it was no use. As he slipped into a forced slumber, the last thing he saw was the Beacon emit a five-colored beam of light up through the bell tower ceiling and out to the Multiverse.


	2. Deploy the Gatewatch

Chandra Nalaar idly took a sip of the dark coffee her mother had brewed before leaving that day, then wrinkled her nose in disgust.

_Ugh, it's gone cold._

Sitting up from her slouched position in the oversized leather armchair, Chandra shifted the delicate mug to one hand and held the other before her. She took a small breath in through her nostrils and let it flow out her mouth. A small flame appeared in her outstretched palm. She once again took the mug with both hands, and once a plume of steam was visible on the brown liquid's surface, she took another sip.

 _Much better,_ she thought, though deep down, the comfort of her mother's brew did little to quell her anxiety. As she looked up from her cup, her eyes scanned the other faces that sat around her mother's small apartment.

Sitting directly across the living room from her, Jace Beleren was lost in thought, his eyes trained on his own cup of coffee that he had yet to sample. Chandra had looked into the mind-mage's eyes so many times before, saw the gears whirring beneath his cloaked face, behind his bright blue eyes. But now, his eyes were listless, heavy bags beneath them, and she could tell that the gears had momentarily stalled.

Beside him, the chronomancer Teferi was chatting with the large silver golem Karn. Teferi ran a dark, wrinkled hand over his graying goatee as he reminisced, sharing a story about some long-past friend on their shared home of Dominaria. Karn's head nodded slowly, almost automatically, along with him, and his mouth moved occasionally to offer a short response. Had Chandra not known the golem, she would have thought he was very rude.

Sitting to Jace's other side was the lion-headed warrior Ajani Goldmane, who was currently catching up on his sleep after their last sojourn. He yawned, revealing a pair of curved fangs, then fell back into his light slumber.

Looking at her compatriots, seeing them so at ease, suddenly filled Chandra with an unknown rage.

_How can we all just sit around here acting like the world isn't about to end? What kind of heroes are we, sitting in my mom's house on Kaladesh when Nicol Bolas could be anywhere in the multiverse? We need to get a move on, we have to find Bolas before anyone else dies!_

Suddenly, the cup in Chandra's hand cracked, dousing her lap in scalding coffee. Though her pyromancy left her immune to heat damage, she still jumped back at the surprising explosion of noise.

All eyes were on her now. Even Ajani was awoken by the sound, his reflexes already propelling him to his feet in case one of them was in danger.

Chandra looked down, and besides the large brown stain on her dark red skirt, she saw that the small fire in her hand had grown into a sizeable blaze without her even realizing. Embarrassed, she extinguished the flame.

"Sorry guys," she said, slightly stammering over her words, "I just like my coffee really hot." She offered a small laugh, but the others did not bite. They looked at her with a mix of concern and empathy, neither emotion she was keen on receiving. She wanted nothing more at this moment to sink into the chair and be lost in its leather folds, but then she felt a light hand on her shoulder.

"You got angry again, didn't you?" asked Jaya Ballard, wizened pyromancer and Chandra's occasional mentor, in a low, even tone.

Chandra shrugged the hand off her shoulder and let out a puff of air. Chandra didn't want to admit to Jaya that she was right, but her actions told the story nonetheless.

"You need to work on that temper of yours," Jaya continued. She calmly held up her own cup of herbal tea. Chandra looked from her periphery and saw a trail of steam begin to rise from it, and Jaya took a slow sip. "You can't fight Bolas in that condition."

Chandra wanted to spit venom back at the hard woman. _You think you know everything! You haven't even pledged to the Gatewatch!_ But she held it back, instead sulking into the chair until her back was on the seat, chin resting on her breastplate and crimson strands of hair falling in front of her eyes.

"It's alright, Jaya," Jace piped up, peeling his eyes away from the swirling mysteries of his coffee cup. "We're all a bit on edge. Gideon should have been back by now."

 _Gideon_. _He's the reason we're still here and not on Bolas' path._ She wanted to be mad but being mad at Gideon was nearly impossible for her. He was the heart and soul of the Gatewatch, and everyone knew it. Between his indestructible aura, his natural leadership and charisma, and his downright attractive features, no one argued that Gideon was their leader, even if he wouldn't admit it himself. Chandra briefly recalled when she first met Gideon, who she had fallen hard for his rakish good looks and sureness of speech. She laughed at this now, as Gideon was more like an older brother to her now, a guiding light to keep her, to keep all of them, from straying off course.

The Gatewatch had only been together a short while, but they had already tasked themselves with saving the multiverse from whatever threats may appear. They hadn't done a great job of it thus far, with Nicol Bolas delivering them a resounding defeat on the plane of Amonkhet, but now they each knew that their only options left were success or death. Not just their own death, but the death of every being in every plane.

Besides Jaya and Karn, everyone in the room had pledged an oath to keep watch over the helpless denizens of the multiverse. They were all planeswalkers, each with powerful magics at their disposal, but still their small numbers bothered Chandra.

 _We need the others back_ , she briefly thought. _No, we only need one of them back._

Of the planeswalkers who had taken up the oath of the Gatewatch, three were absent from the room. One was, of course, Gideon Jura, who was supposed to meet here after he concluded his business on Dominaria. There, he planned to find Liliana Vess and bring her back to renew her Gatewatch oath.

Chandra's brow instinctively furrowed at the thought of Liliana the necromancer. She had once thought of Liliana as a sister, almost a foil to Gideon back when she was working alongside the Gatewatch. Someone to look up to, to teach Chandra about the ways of the worlds and how to keep one's head above water. But after Amonkhet and their defeat at the hands of Bolas, her intentions had been laid bare. She didn't care about saving the helpless, only saving herself. Her powers came from a deal with four demons that locked her soul away, and she had exploited, manipulated, and tossed aside her allies in order to slay these demons. Apparently the last one had been slain on Dominaria, so while Gideon searched for her, the rest of the room had to wait for him to come to the same conclusion they already had: Liliana Vess was not coming back.

Still, there was still a small part of her, a tiny voice way in the back of Chandra's mind, the hoped Liliana would come back, would see the error of her ways and help them fight Nicol Bolas. Her magical powers were great enough to possibly stand against the dragon now that her contract was broken, but more so would be the morale boost she could bring to the rest of group.

 _Especially Jace_ , she noted somberly, looking back to the stoic man staring at nothing. _I'll never understood what those two saw in each other, but I know he misses her more than any of us._

And then her mind instantly snapped to the final missing member of the Gatewatch. Nissa Revane, the elf sorceress who could make the ground shake with a wave of her hand. Nissa, who spoke to the trees. Nissa, who had stood by their sides through the worst of it, who had stood by Chandra's side more than anyone. Nissa, whose russet hair shone in the midday sun, and whose green eyes reflected her own so perfectly…

 _She should be here, dammit!_ Chandra inwardly cursed. _I know Zendikar needs her, that her elf clan needs their leader, but we need her too. I need her. I need to tell her, I need to see and tell her that I…_

Her train of thought was interrupted by a sudden burst of iridescent light from the center of the room. Everyone's attention turned to Gideon Jura as he stepped out of the portal, hair still whipped back from the Dominaria breeze.

"Well it's about time!" Chandra blurted out, immediately regretting letting her thoughts tumble out of her mouth. Luckily, Gideon did not seem to mind and offered her a warm smile.

"Sorry about that," he said, "things on Dominaria took a bit longer than I expected."

"And what about Liliana?" Jace asked, putting his coffee cup down on the adjacent end table.

Gideon's eyes fell to the ground, and his shoulders slumped forward just enough for Chandra to notice. Before he said anything else, everyone in the room already knew what he was about to report.

"I found no trace of her on Dominaria. She must have planeswalked away after I slew Belzenlok. I guess she wants to see what life is like without it being beholden to any demons, but I have no idea where."

"I told you this would happen," said Jace snidely.

"And I told you I don't care," Gideon retorted. If Chandra didn't know any better, she might think she saw Gideon puff out his chest at Jace. "It was still worth looking for her, we could use all the help we can get."

Chandra mused, _Is Gideon asserting dominance? Nah, probably just defending an old friend._

Jace scoffed at him. "You act like I don't already know that. I would have been ecstatic to see Liliana in this room, but we all knew what would happen as soon as her contract was broken. My mind is constantly moving, Gideon, but even I saw that there were only two possibilities for her: planeswalk somewhere far away from Bolas, or planeswalk right to his side. And it looks like I was right. Lucky me."

Teferi stood up, his back lightly creaking as he straightened to his full height. "Jace, Gideon, there's nothing we can do about her now. Now, we must plan for Bolas' defeat."

"Agreed," added Karn in his robotic monotone. "We need to focus on a plan for the seven of us."

The number rang hollow in Chandra's ears. _Seven. It should be eight. It_ should _be nine!_

Once again, Chandra felt Jaya's hand grasp her shoulder. "Careful Chandra," she whispered in her ear. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your mother's home, would you?"

Chandra looked up, and she saw that the ends of her hair were starting to glow like dying embers. A second or so more, and her head would have been engulfed with flames, tall and hot enough to lick the molded ceiling. Chandra took a deep breath through her nostrils and watched as her hair reset to its normal red color.

"Do we know where Bolas is?" Teferi inquired, trying to cut down the tension in the room. "Or perhaps where he's headed."

"Nothing yet," said Jace. "He's been in the wind since Amonkhet. Though I'd wager is staying in his Meditation Realm until he strikes, leaving us with no way to track him."

Teferi pursed his lips. "Hmm, that is troubling. In the meantime, are there any more allies we may recruit to the cause?"

"Maybe…" Jace began, but he quickly cut his thought short. "Nevermind, it's not relevant."

Both Teferi and Gideon narrowed their eyes, but they knew it would be better to leave it alone.

"Anyone else?"

"We can talk to Saheeli Rai," Chandra offered. "She's not too far from here, and she helped us last time. Her metal magic is really strong…"

Ajani spoke up in a low roar, "I have spoken to the moon sage Tamiyo and the behemoth summoner Kiora. Neither swore an oath, but they said they would help whenever we need them."

"That's good," Gideon said softly. "Any allies we can muster will be helpful." He paused, then inexplicably unsheathed the sword that lay on his side. Blackblade was aptly named, a longsword that looked like forged obsidian, but was much sharped than that. Gideon clenched his fist around its hilt.

"This blade has taken so many lives before this day. It cleaved into flesh and drained the souls from their bodies. It killed the demonlord Belzenlok. It brought low an Elder Dragon. And still, I can feel its insatiable hunger. We will need all the help we can get, everyone who is willing to lay their life on the line for this mission. Some of us will die, but only so many more can live. It will all be worth it though, as long as I can plunge this blade into Nicol Bolas' pitch-black heart and allow it to taste the soul of an Elder Dragon one final ti-"

In an instant, the room was silent. No one reacted, they had been enraptured by Gideon's speech. They were all looking at him, and then suddenly, he was gone.

"What the hell was that!?" Chandra yelled as the event finally struck. "Did he just planeswalk?"

"No way," said Jace, slow panic creeping into his voice. "That wasn't his usual white light. I saw it, it was like a, a beam, and it was split into five colors."

"Remain calm," Karn entreated, "I'm sure he'll be back so-" And just like that, Karn disappeared as well.

"Are we under attack!?" Chandra yelled, two balls of fire appearing in her palms. She could feel the tingle of her scalp igniting, though it only barely pierced through the mixture of panic and defensive anger. "Is this Bolas' doing?"

Teferi held a hand up to Chandra and met her eyes. "I don't believe so. I was able to slow my vision on Karn this time, and Jace was right. It's a beam of mana, all five colors. Bolas is good, but he can't use all colors of mana. There must be another explan-"

Teferi disappeared, and Chandra indeed saw the beam, even if it lasted for only an instant. The fire on her head and in her hands grew larger as her breathing increased, her heartbeat pumping in her ears. She knew that she was leaving a burn mark on her mother's ceiling, but it was a small price to pay for defense.

Ajani went next, clasping his oversized axe while looking at the ceiling, desperate for a clue.

The next moment, Jace went.

Chandra felt the hand on her shoulder one more time. She waited, waited for Jaya to tell her to calm down, to stop the needless destruction she either was currently perpetrating on about to perpetrate. But no sound came, and the weight of the hand vanished instantaneously.

Chandra Nalaar stood in her mother's Kaladesh apartment, alone. She didn't know whether to scream, cry, or launch a fireball through the heavy oak door. It didn't matter. Because the next moment, she was bathed in light.

Disorienting swirls of white, blue, black, red, and green overtook her sense. She felt light and heavy, stretched and compressed, hot and cold. And then she felt the light penetrate her chest. No, not just her chest. Her soul, her very being, was now grasped by the light.

_My spark!_

The light grabbed hold of her planeswalker spark, enveloping it in the sensation of pure color. She felt it give a quick tug, and then she was gone from Kaladesh.


	3. Call to Arms

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz _._

_What the hell is that?_

Ral's eyes flickered open as the persistent buzzing bore its way into his subconscious. He was immediately met with a harsh ray of sunlight from the now-empty window frame of the Azorius bell tower. He squinted and held a hand up to shield his eyes, just long enough for them to adjust to the morning sun.

_Morning? Does that mean…_

Ral's pulse quickened, his grogginess subsiding as a rush of adrenaline bolted through his body. He jumped off the wooden floor and looked before him to the source of the consistent buzzing.

"The Beacon's on…" His voice trailed off in wonder as he looked at the impressive machine chugging along, a large multicolored beam of pure energy firing continually from its top. "I did it. We did it!"

_We…_

Ral turned, his eyes quickly darting around the cramped bell tower room for his allies. He saw Kaya, laying prone on her back. He saw Lavinia face down on the floor, her cloak now covered in soot. He saw Hekara, face down in a pool of her own blood.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to Hekara's corpse. He didn't know why he did it. The two had never gotten along, and not just because she was Rakdos and he Izzet. She just never seemed to take any of this seriously, no matter how much he had tried to convince her.

_Maybe if she'd listen, she'd still be alive._

This did little to assuage his guilt, but his mind was soon stirred by the soft murmuring of Kaya regaining consciousness.

He walked over as she propped herself up on her elbows, scrunching her face at the sun's rays. Hearing the approaching footsteps, she reflexively reached for the daggers on her belt, but her hands froze midair when she saw Ral's face.

"Did… did we do it?" she managed to stammer out through her mental fugue. "Did we win?"

Ral opened his mouth to answer, then realized he didn't know how to. He listened to the buzzing of the operational Beacon, but his eyes fell once more on Hekara's body and the crimson halo splayed around her head.

Kaya's eyes followed his, then widened as the memories of last night flooded back. "Oh gods. Ral, I'm sorry, I tried to warn her, but…"

"It's ok," Ral cut her off, his voice hard and shear as a tempered blade. "It couldn't be helped. We all knew that this was the risk of teaming up against Bolas. We should be grateful only one of us died."

 _What am I saying?_ While Ral's words conveyed a cold detachment, his insides were twisted in sadness. _None of us should've died._ He wanted to cry, but knew he could not, not now. _There'll be plenty of time to mourn when that damned dragon is dead._

"So, the Beacon's up and running?" Kaya asked as she got to her feet. She stumbled slightly, putting a hand to her head until she found her footing.

"Yeah, it's working all right. If Niv's design is correct, which it being wrong would be a first, Ravnica should be seeing a massive influx of planeswalkers soon. The Beacon's signal should be reaching all over the multiverse, finding active sparks and pulling them to Ravnica like a giant magnet."

 _More like a chameleon's tongue latching on to a dragonfly,_ he thought, but he quickly shook away this morbidity. He was dubious upon seeing Niv-Mizzet's backup plan, but he knew he should believe in it. He needed to believe in it. Otherwise, the dragon, and Hekara, and soon countless others, would have died in vain.

"If an army of planeswalkers can't stop Nicol Bolas, then I don't know what will."

"If that's true, why didn't he just smash the damned thing when we were all knocked out?" asked Kaya.

Ral flashed a half-smile. "Niv's design made sure it was indestructible once turned on. No failsafes, no weak points, no backdoors. I couldn't stop it even if I tried. At this point, it'll keep running until it runs out of juice, and with the amount of galvanizing I did, that won't be for a damn long time."

"Finally, some good news. So, when should the planeswalkers start getting here?"

"They should have already started arriving. The Beacon'll pull them here, but when they arrive and where they land is completely random. Niv loved his inventions to have just a hint of unpredictability."

"So…" Kaya began, then paused. Ral could see the words get caught in her throat, but he couldn't guess what she was trying to say. Eventually, she pushed the words out. "Does that mean Vraska will be back?"

Ral felt his heart sink slightly at her mention. "Probably," he shrugged.

"Do you think she'll fight on our side? I mean, she's still technically the queen of the Golgari. I can't imagine she'll want to see her guild destroyed."

"After the amount of voltage I shot at her, I doubt she'll make herself known any time soon. Unless she's sitting by Bolas' side right now…"

"Ral, you can't be too hard on her. We both know what that dragon can do once he's in your head."

"And yet here we are. Still seeing over our guilds, still fighting Bolas, still not murdering anybody."

Kaya eyes fell, not sure how to respond. Ral saw this and wanted to apologize, but his resolve against Vraksa, and his pride, kept him silent.

A few seconds passed, with neither Kaya nor Ral knowing quite what to say. Fortunately for them, it was another voice by the window that cut the tension.

"So," Lavinia said slowly as she rose to her feet. "I take it that incessant buzzing means the Beacon is operational?"

"Yeah," Ral responded, running a hand through his silver-streaked hair. "We managed to turn it on just before…"

His voice trailed off. The air once again grew thick with tension as Ral's eyes broke from Lavinia's and moved across the floor until he saw the faint outline of red in his periphery.

Lavinia's eyes followed his. She looked up and down the still body of their former ally, then returned her gaze to Ral.

"It's unfortunate," she said, voice even as it had ever been.

Kaya reached out to her. "Lavinia, I'm sorry. I know you didn't…"

"Stop," she commanded. "I don't blame myself for this. I'm not a child. I know that Hekara's blood is on Bolas' hands, not mine."

Kaya nodded. "Just another name on the list of people to avenge by stopping that dragon."

"A list that's already far too long. With that machine, though, we have a chance to cut it short. Especially when the Living Guildpact finally shows himself. Hopefully he'll actually do something and not just sit and hide until Bolas is done."

Ral felt the venom behind her words, a feeling he certainly shared. "I don't like him any more than you, but with Niv gone and the guilds so divided, we do need him."

"Hmm, I'll be surprised if he even remembers how to use his powers," she huffed.

"We can remind him. Finding that pompous ass should be top priority. Bolas has perpetrated so many crimes, but we finally have something on him under Ravnican law. He killed a guild master, so all we need is for the Living Guildpact to command his arrest, and the Guildpact's magic should take care of it."

"That's a small comfort," Kaya spoke up. "Hopefully he'll get here soon, and hopefully he's not hard to find."

Ral sighed. "We can only ho-"

His words were cut short as a massive flash of light erupted between the three of them. Ral nearly doubled over in surprise. Then he saw the silhouette of a hooded figure appear in the middle of the glow

_Could it be…_

The light subsided, and Ral, Kaya, and Lavinia watched as a young boy collapsed to the ground before them, coughing violently and gasping for air. Kaya quickly rushed to the boy's side and helped him to his feet, easily supporting his weight.

 _Huh, not exactly what I was expecting…_ Ral thought.

The boy kept coughing for a few seconds, but as it subsided, he looked around the small room. His eyes darted to Ral, then to Lavinia, then to the buzzing Beacon, and finally to Kaya beside him.

"Wh-wh-where am I?" he sputtered, his eyes wobbling frantically. "Who are you people?"

Ral sized the boy up. He looked to be in his late teens, with sun-tanned skin and dark-brown hair cut close to the sides of his head. His clothes reminded Ral of the robes the Orzhov priests wore, except his was drab brown and weather-worn instead of immaculate white and gold. The strangest thing, however, was that the boy was covered in sand. Light beige specks seemed to fall from every surface, accumulating in small piles by his feet.

"My name is Ral," he began, holding in hands up in a gesture for the child to calm down. "Ral Zarek. The woman propping you up is Kaya. We're both planeswalkers too. And this is Lavinia. She's not a 'walker, but she's a former lawmage and a hell of a combatant. You're on Ravnica, in a bell tower of the Azorius Senate. Sorry, I didn't think the jump would be that disorienting for a planeswalker to endure."

The boy's demeanor grew more frightened. "Ravnica? Azorius? Planeswalker? What are you talking about? And why are you all dressed li-like that? Does your city not worry about the diamond storms?"

Now it was Ral's turn to join the confusion. He looked to Kaya, but she could only shrug, clearly just as ignorant to the boy's meaning as he was.

"Sorry kid, but I don't know what you mean. Why don't you start by telling us your name and the last thing you remember?"

"Um, my name's Teyo. Teyo Verada of Gobakhan. I'm an acolyte of the Order of the Shieldmage. The last thing I remember is coming back from a mission in Oasis. I was at the back of the caravan when a particularly rough diamond storm hit. I remember trying to shield the backmost packbeast, but failing. I remember Abbot Barrez yelling at me to watch my step. Then I remember accidentally stepping into a sinkhole. I sank. I couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't breathe. Then I felt something…" He paused, seemingly try to find the exact right words. "I don't know, like, it felt like energy surging through my body. Like my soul leaked into my veins. And the last thing I remember is a big blast of light covering me, and then I was here."

As he finished talking, Teyo's eyes suddenly grew wide. He looked at Ral with a look of pure terror. "Wait, am I dead? I-is this the afterlife?"

Kaya smiled to Ral and let out a slight chuckle. "'fraid not, kid. This is the land of the living, at least for the time being."

Teyo looked relieved, but that lasted for a fraction of a second before panicked confusion settled back in. "So, I'm in the city of Ravnica?"

"Yup," said Ral, "grandest city in the multiverse."

"So, how far away am I from Oasis now? I appreciate you all saving me from the sinkhole, but I need to get back to my monastery. The abbot will have my head if I'm lost too long!"

Ral sighed and shook his head. _Just my luck. Out of every planeswalker in the multiverse, we're stuck with some kid whose spark literally just activated._

"Look Teyo, I hate to break this to you, but you are nowhere near Oasis. You're on a completely different plane of existence. You said you were some kind of monk, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" Ral saw Teyo's pupils dilate and watched as a thin layer of sweat began to collect along his brow. "Actually, I'm a true monk yet. I'm still in training."

"Well, regardless of what you were, now you're a planeswalker. That near-death experience you just had must've unlocked your spark, just in time for you to be pulled to our happy little universe."

"I… I don't…" Teyo mumbled, unsure how to process all of this new information. It was clear that he wasn't fully comprehending the situation. He looked like he wanted to ask Ral more questions, but he didn't know what to ask.

_Sorry kid, I know it's a lot, but we have more urgent business to get to._

"Ral, Kaya, you should come see this." The two looked to Lavinia, who was standing by the empty window overlooking the horizon.

"You good to stand, Teyo?" Kaya asked. He nodded nervously, then let go of Kaya's shoulders. He stood up and brushed his hands across his tunic, a new pile of sand falling from its wrinkles.

Teyo followed Ral and Kaya as they walked to the open window, but he instantly paused when he saw Hekara's body still sitting in the corona of blood. He watched, horrified, as Kaya and Ral neatly stepped around it, as if it were just another shard of broken glass to be avoided. He swallowed hard, forced his eyes off the too-still body, and made his way to the window.

Teyo froze as he looked out of the window, his eyes bulging with fear. "What's with all of these buildings? All of these people? And why is there only one sun in the sky?"

His eyes darted this way and that, soaking in the looming spires and cobblestone streets of Ravnica. He waited for an answer, but Ral, Kaya, and Lavinia had their attention drawn to something else. An enormous building shadowed the far corner of the Tenth District plaza, black as midnight and taller than any structure the city had ever known. It clashed horribly with the Ravnican architecture, but Ral instinctively knew that was probably the purpose, a citadel to represent that the old Ravnica would soon be under siege.

"I don't remember that being there last night," Kaya remarked.

"I guess we know where Bolas is hiding out," Lavinia stated flatly. "And I guess that means he has his peons with him. Bolas is powerful, but his magic doesn't build things like that." Her eyes dropped, scanning the ground below. "It looks like planeswalkers are beginning to appear. Hopefully the Living Guildpact will be here soon."

Teyo looked back at the three adults, his voice cracking with stress. "Um, can someone please explain what all of this is?"

Ral heaved a deep, almost mournful sigh. "This is Ravnica, kid. Welcome to the war front."


	4. No Rest for the Wicked

The early morning Ravnica air was chilly and damp, a thin mist still lingering from the lightning storm the night before. Though the sun was shining fully, the low arc of its rays was cut short by the jet-black ziggurat towering over the Tenth District. It cast a brutal shadow over the nearby streets and houses, keeping them in a perpetual state of near-night darkness. The wind currents, normally unimpeded, now slammed against the structure's flat, slanted walls, travelling up and over the behemoth in their way. It howled, as if the plane itself was crying out against the travesty that had been newly birthed on its surface. All of this culminated in Liliana Vess wishing she had brought a coat.

She hugged her hands tight against her sides in a vain attempt to keep them warm. Her flowing purple dress, while still her favorite, cut off at the neckline, leaving her shoulders bare to the wailing winds being forced up to her perch at the top of the citadel. She watched the visible puffs of breath escaping her lips. They were uneven, quicker than they should be. Liliana wanted to blame the temperature, or the height, but she knew that it all had to do with who she was meeting up here.

"Oy, Vess, you're lookin' a bit chilly." She turned to her right, then lowered her gaze until she saw the smirking face of her newly-made ally, Domri Rade. Her eyes narrowed at the shirtless boy whose eye level didn't pass her chest (in more ways than one).

"What of it, Rade?" she accosted.

His smile widened as he crooked an eyebrow. "Well, I'm more'n happy to help you keep warm."

"Take one step in my direction, and it'll be your last. I doubt a corpse would provide much warmth."

"Woah, easy there!" he exclaimed, taking a step back. He held one hand up to her, the other tightening its grip on the large horned staff he was leaning against. "I'm jus' 'avin' a bit of fun, no need to get all tight-lipped on me. Ya know, you could learn a thing or two from the Gruul."

It took all of Liliana's restraint to not send a blast of eldritch mana through Domri's chest. Instead, her face contorted in a combination of disgust and aggression. "I doubt I have anything to learn from your guild of savages except whether they smell better alive or dead. My money would be on the latter."

"Would the two of you kindly stop your bickering?" The two turned to the glowering figure standing on Domri's opposite side. Tezzeret stood slightly taller than Liliana, though she had no idea if that height was natural. Besides his head and left arm, Tezzeret's body was completely metallic. Silver filigree swirls made up his torso and arms, all of it glowing with a faint violet light from the machinery within.

"Aw, whassa matter, Tezz," Domri chided, "do you need your battery charged? Maybe a sip o' oil?"

"Shut it, pest. Do you know how much mana it took to raise this citadel last night? Master Bolas didn't exactly give me any breaks, so forgive me if I don't want to listen to a demon queen prattle on with a boy who's got more hair on his jacket than his pecker."

Domri's smile turned, while Liliana raised a gloved hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"That's tough talk for a man who ain't got a speck of meat beneath his shoulders, you glorified street sweeper." Tezzeret smirked and continued, unmoved by Domri's supposed insults.

"Honestly, the two of you are about as bad as that thing whining in my ear." Tezzeret pointed a mechanical claw to his other side, where a solitary thopter was hovering, its wings emitting a low hum as it fought against the updrafts. "How come Baan doesn't need to be here in person?"

"I assume he's already attending to some of Bolas' dirty work." Liliana spoke coolly, but something about her words rung hollow. _If it's such dirty work, then why am I doing it? Am I no better than these three sycophants?_

Domri let out a small yawn. "How much longer is the big guy gonna keep us waiting? Don't he know I got things to smash?"

Then, as if on cue, an aperture at the center of the citadel irised open, widening until it was nearly the size of a house frame. It stopped, and out from the citadel's center floated Nicol Bolas, his massive wings folded in so he could fit. He hovered for a moment, looking down at his gathered minions as the opening gradually closed. Once the flat surface of the citadel's roof returned, he landed, his weight causing a tremor across the structure.

Liliana felt her breath quicken at the sight of the Elder Dragon descending before her. She tried to calm her nerves, but nothing could be done. At this point, she couldn't tell if the emotion she felt towards Bolas was anger or fear, but it hardly mattered when she could act on neither.

A brief silence followed Bolas' arrival, but it was cut short as a soft clicking sound started from the thopter. The stinger-like protrusion on its front opened, revealing a lensed piece of mizzium. Light from the thopter's abdomen began to glow, and a full-body projection of Dovin Baan appeared before it.

The hologram Dovin took a deep bow. "Greetings, Master Bolas," he said, voice slightly garbled by the transmission. "I love what you've done with the Tenth District."

"Spare me your pleasantries," Bolas bellowed. Liliana was used to hearing his voice only in her head, rumbling through her brain like a swarm of locusts. She knew that he could not project his thoughts into the hologram, but it was still odd to hear his rasp.

"I trust that the Immortal Sun is fully operational?" the dragon snarled.

"Indeed, the Sun has been secured within the stronghold of New Prahv and is ready to activate. At your command, the planeswalkers on Ravnica will be stuck like flies in a spider's web."

The dragon smiled, revealing his pointed teeth to the four. "Excellent. Tezzeret will send the signal once he planeswalks to Amonkhet and sets up the Planar Bridge. Now go and ensure that the Sun is truly secured."

"Of course, master." Dovin once again bowed deeply, then the hologram disappeared as the thopter closed its proboscis and flew back to its master.

Bolas watched the thopter depart, then turned his attention back to his three present underlings. With the thopter gone, the dragon's voice once more reverberated through their skulls. _TEZZERET, GO NOW AND BEGIN SETTING UP THE PLANAR BRIDGE. BE SURE THOSE INSOLENT PESTS ON AMONKHET TO NOT DISTURB YOUR WORK._

"At your command," Tezzeret stated. He offered a quick salute and was engulfed by a portal of violet light as he planeswalked away.

 _DOMRI,_ projected Bolas, the echoing words still worming their way into Liliana's head, _RETURN TO YOUR HORDE. SPREAD THE GRUUL WAYS ACROSS EVERY PAVED AND INDUSTRIALIZED INCH OF THIS CITY. THE END-RAZE WILL BE UPON US SOON._

Domri beamed as if he had been given the greatest birthday gift of all. "You got it boss. I'll tear the stone from the streets and heal the soil with the blood o' the betrayers! Me 'n the boys are gonna raise some hell!"

_THIS WORLD TURNED ITS BACK ON THE CHAOS OF NATURE. SHOW THEM NOW WHAT POWER IT HOLDS._

"You don't gotta tell me twice!" With a triumphant cry, Domri leapt over the edge of the massive citadel. Liliana's eyes followed him, half-hoping to see him splatter against the concrete below. To her dismay, he quickly waved his hands and loosed a guttural chant, and a large hawk appeared beneath him. He landed squarely on its back and rode it to the ground, where a veritable horde of painted humans, giants, viashino, centaurs, and goblins waited for their leader. As soon as Domri landed, he removed the hawk and summoned a large boar to ride. The crowd roared with bloodlust and rode off through the city streets, a wake of minor destruction already starting to appear.

Liliana turned back to Bolas, whose attention was not on her, but looking out over the city. She stared in contempt at the dragon, but she dared not speak. She waited for Bolas to usher his command, but he seemed preoccupied by the horizon.

 _What is he waiting for?_ she asked herself, and the answer came almost immediately. She suddenly felt something bathe over her, an energy that seemed to leash around her neck and chest.

 _GOOD, THE IMMORTAL SUN IS ACTIVATED. NO MORE PLANESWALKING. NO MORE ESCAPE._ He now turned once more to Liliana. _YOU SHALL WAIT HERE FOR THE BRIDGE TO ACTIVATE. YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO THEN_.

"Yes," she said curtly, emphatically leaving out any 'master' or 'lord'. "And what shall you be doing in the meantime?"

_I WILL BE PREPARING THE ELDERSPELL WITHIN THE CITADEL. THERE IS STILL MUCH TO BE DONE BEFORE MY PLAN CAN COME TO FRUITION._

"Of course," she added, trying her best to keep the pent-up sarcasm in her thoughts from leaking into her words. "I will wait here and keep watch." Hearing her own complacency made the bile rise in her stomach.

_VESS, DO NOT TAKE ME FOR A FOOL._

Liliana looked up, surprise mingling with fear across her face. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."

_YOU ARE NOT LIKE BAAN, OR TEZZERET, OR RADE. YOU STILL WISH TO FIGHT AGAINST ME. YOU ARE HOPING I DO NOT SUCCEED IN MY PLAN, THAT YOUR FORMER ALLIES WILL BE ABLE TO DEFEAT ME._

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she lied through her teeth.

_DO NOT FORGET THAT I HOLD YOUR CONTRACT NOW. IF YOU DO NOT OBEY MY COMMAND, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO END IT._

She did not respond, only grit her teeth in frustration. The two stood in silence for a few moments, the ache of Bolas' psychic intrusion starting to wane. Eventually, Liliana heaved a grievous sigh and looked back to Bolas with a dejected acquiescence.

His scaled lips curled, dripping with sadistic glee. Then, he uncurled a clawed finger and pointed it past Liliana. She turned and saw him gesturing to the Transguild Promenade, a neutral zone where members of all ten guilds could meet and live without threat of feuding. Flashing a villainous grin, Bolas' claw began to glow with an eerie red light.

Liliana audibly gasped as a stone pillar suddenly shot from the Promenade's center, upturning the concrete and bursting through the vaulted gates meant as a symbol of guild unity. She had seen obelisks like this on Amonkhet, but this one was made of a pale green limestone. It was also much taller, growing higher than even the citadel she stood on. By the time it finished growing, it strained her neck to look at its peak.

Her head whipped to watch Bolas, just in time to see him belch out a torrent of blue flames from his maw. She followed the fire as it shot towards the obelisk, engulfing it in an azure inferno that bathed the streets in alien light. When the flame dissipated, she could she that it had forged the blank obelisk into a statue. A hulking, towering, terrifying statue of Nicol Bolas himself, gold trim adorning its smooth surface.

 _THERE_ , Bolas proclaimed, the mirth in his voice filling Liliana's mind, _LET THAT SERVE AS A MESSAGE TO YOU, VESS, AND TO THE CITIZEN OF RAVNICA. THIS PLANE NOW BELONGS TO NICOL BOLAS, THE ELDER DRAGON!_

Bolas flapped his mighty wings and hovered off the ground as the aperture on the citadel's roof once again opened. Without another word, he slipped back into his fortress, leaving Liliana alone.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream to the heavens. She wanted to march into the citadel and kill Bolas where he stood. But she could not do any of that. All she could do was look out at the statue of her captor and wait for his command.


	5. Fated Return

The five-colored beam of light dispersed, and Jace's feet hit the cobblestone street with a _clack._ He held a hand to his temple, disoriented by the abrupt trip and the lingering images of swirling brightness. He blinked rapidly and steadied himself, remembering:

_This is probably a trap from Bolas._

Reflexively, Jace threw up an invisibility spell to mask his presence, followed by a spell to block any errant telepathic signals from traveling into or out of his mind. Once he felt relatively safe, he finally took in his surroundings.

He stood in the middle of an empty back alley, sandwiched between two buildings of brick and mortar. He took a deep breath through his nostrils, and the mingled scents of industry and civilization filled his mind.

 _Ravnica_. _We'd suspected this was the most likely place for Bolas' plans to unfurl. Guess we were right_.

For once, Jace took no solace in being correct. He took a few steps out to the alleyway's exit, trying to get his bearings on where in the expansive cityscape he was. As he approached, he saw citizen running past, all going in the same direction. Parents pulled children with eyes and fingers all pointed to the sky. Jace walked toward the end of the alley, and as he approached, he could hear the increasing sound of a gathering crowd not too far from his spot. He took a step onto the main street, turned to the commotion, and felt pure dread crash over him like a tidal wave. He was in the Transguild Promenade, a place he had walked through numerous times, but now there was nothing left, nothing but a larger-than-life statue of Nicol Bolas surrounded by panicked citizens.

_Oh Gods, it's already begun! I need to get out of here, regroup with the Gatewatch._

Jace readied himself to planeswalk, felt the arcane power of his spark flow through his body. He took a step forward, ready to see Chandra's mother's apartment on Kaladesh once more. But he didn't, all he saw was the same sight of the statue looming over him, almost taunting him.

"What the…?"

Jace's question fell off as he noticed a golden light appear on his forehead. A circle of runes circumscribing a triangle with an eye at its center. Jace remembered this symbol all too well from his time on Ixalan. It was the symbol of Azor, creator of the Immortal Sun.

_The Immortal Sun is here too? Shit, is this all part of Bolas' plan, pluck every planeswalker from across the Blind Eternities and trap them on Ravnica? But why though?_

This troubling line of thought distracted him for a moment, causing his psychic barrier to weaken for an instant. That instant was enough, as a welcome voice suddenly entered Jace's mind.

 _Jace, can you hear me?_ Teferi's voice ebbed in and out of clarity, but Jace heard him. Teferi specialized in time magic, so his telepathy skills were shoddy at best, but Jace was thankful for even this small connection.

 _Yes,_ Jace answered, strengthening their connection with his own mental magic, _I can hear you Teferi._

_Thank the stars you're here too. Where are you right now? I landed somewhere on the far side of the city, past the Simic guildhall. I'm with Karn, we found each other accidentally._

_That's good to hear. I'm in the Promenade, right by the newest art installment. It looks like Bolas has already sprung his trap._

_Hopefully we're not too late. Should we make our way to you?_

_Not yet, let me try and seek out the others._ Jace ducked back into the alley and undid the invisibility spell he had been maintaining. With the rest of his power, he sent his telepathic tendrils across Ravnica, searching for the distinct brain patterns of his comrades. He found Ajani near the Boros garrison, Jaya and Chandra close together in the untamed outlands occupied by the Gruul, and Gideon near the Orzhov church.

 _Can everyone hear each other?_ he asked out to the group.

 _Yeah,_ came Chandra's voice, _just don't scare us like that again. Damn near saw Jaya's heart leap out of her chest when you spoke up._

She joked, but Jace still felt a twinge of concern. He needed all his allies in top form for whatever Bolas had in store.

 _So, what's the plan?_ Gideon asked. _Where should me meet to plan our next move?_

Jace knew the best place without a second thought. _We can head to my office in New Prahv. The Azorius wards, along with my own security system, should give us the privacy we need. I'll send the location to everyone's mind. Get there as soon as you can, and try not to draw attention to yourselves._

 _I will try my best,_ stated Ajani. Chandra let a snort of laughter through her thoughts at this.

 _Alright,_ Jace continued, _I will see you all there._

He magically sent the rendezvous location out to everyone, then severed the psychic link between them all. Next, he reactivated his cloaking spell and his telepathic blocker. Once he had everything prepared, he headed back out onto the street and walked in the direction of the Azorius Senate.

Jace internally sighed as he thought about their destination. _I haven't been to that office in months. Hopefully it hasn't gotten too dusty. Knowing Lavinia, there's no way she'd leave even a speck of dirt in the Living Guildpact's personal quarters._


	6. Strategic Planning

By the time Chandra and Jaya arrived at the office of the Living Guildpact in New Prahv, the others Gatewatch members and allies had already begun to strategize. She opened the door to see them standing around a large oaken table, a map of the city unfurled across it with myriad objects weighing it down.

 _Dammit!_ she cursed at her luck. _I can't believe they've started without us. I guess even with pyromancy, we weren't going to outpace Teferi's time magic or Gideon or Ajani's speed. But how the hell did Jace beat us here?_

She cut her inner tirade short as Gideon beckoned them over. Chandra ran to join them, nearly tripping over the rippling rug in the center of the room. Jaya closed the door behind her, a runic sound following as Jace's protections sealed it from uninvited guests.

As they joined the table, Chandra felt Jace's psychic link reattach to her mind. _It's safer to do this instead of talking,_ he explained. _I haven't been here in a while. There's no telling what kind of bugs Bolas or his cronies could've put in here._

Chandra nodded in affirmation.

_And if you must know, I got here faster because I know the back alleys better than you._

The color flushed from Chandra's face as she looked to Jace's smirking countenance. She looked around the table, and the others were all unsuccessfully trying to stifle their laughter. Mortified, she turned her attention to the map in front of her.

She recognized the map of the Tenth District and its adjacent sectors. There were seven colored pushpins, representing their group, huddled on top of the Azorius-controlled section of the district. Chandra pointed to the inkwell situated across the district from their pins and to the stone paperweight in the middle of the Transguild Promenade.

_I take it those are that black tower and that eyesore of a statue._

_Indeed,_ thought Gideon, _it seems that Bolas has been hard at work within his short time on Ravnica. No doubt he has other planeswalkers in his employ._

 _That citadel looks like Tezzeret's handiwork,_ added Karn, whose robotic tone unnerved the group as it passed directly through their brains. _He will surely be skulking around somewhere with the Planar Bridge._

 _And the Immortal Sun,_ interjected Jace. _If you all feel that tethered sensation on your spark, that's the Sun's doing. None of us can planeswalk until that thing is shut down. I dealt with it before, on Ixalan, before it was stolen by Tezzeret._

And Vraska. Jace wanted to tell his teammates the entire truth, but he couldn't bring himself to mention Vraska alongside their enemies.

 _Maybe she's our enemy now,_ thought Jace, compartmentalizing his thoughts away from the Gatewatch. _I should have come back here sooner to see how she was. It was her idea for me to wipe her memories of our time on Ixalan, but the plan was always for me to come back and restore them. Now she might be working for Bolas again, just like before. Before I told her what he really is, before we teamed up to fight him, before we…_

Jace let this thought trail off, shaking his head in frustration. After a moment he rejoined the group's telepathic link as they continued to figure out the pieces of Bolas' puzzle.

 _So,_ Chandra thought as she waved her hands in vague gestures, _it's clear that Bolas built some sorta device to bring us all to Ravnica so that he could trap us here with the Immortal Sun. But why would he do that?_

 _I'm not sure,_ Jace answered, his voice faltering. _The only thing that could possibly pose a threat to Bolas are other planeswalkers, so I don't know why he would bring them all to one place._

 _It doesn't matter,_ came Gideon's voice, unwavering in resolve, _the more allies he's brought us, the better our odds are. All I need to do is stick Blackblade between his ribs and whatever plans he has laid are done._

 _It's not that simple,_ Jaya countered, her voice unflinching in the wake of Gideon's heroism. _Besides the fact that we don't know where the damned dragon is, he's not just going to let you walk up to him and stab him with the one thing in the Multiverse that_ might _kill him._

Gideon's face curled in frustration, but Jace stepped in to offer something. _We may not exactly know where Bolas is, but it's a pretty safe bet that he's holed up in the black pyramid in the Tenth District. Not sure what's inside, but I can sense a powerful aura coming from it. It's evil, and definitely something I've felt before from Bolas._

Gideon nodded, stone-faced. _Good, then we should travel there and strike as soon as we can. Bolas hasn't shown himself, so I doubt he knows we're here. Jace, you can cloak me and get me close enough for the kill._

 _That's asinine, even for you,_ Jaya shot back. _We all know how powerful Bolas' magic is. As soon as you step too close to him, no matter how cloaked, he'll know you're there._

_Then I'll jump at him._

Jaya pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. _He'll just swat you away like what you've told me about your time on Amonkhet. Unless you can get to him when he's completely immobile, it won't work. Our best plan right now should be rounding up as many planeswalkers as we can and formulating a coordinated attack._

 _But Jaya,_ Chandra suddenly spoke up, _we can't just give Bolas more time! His entire plan could be done by the time we come up with our own. I'm with Gideon on this._ She gave him a quick nod, to which he cracked a gleaming smile. A few years ago, such a sight would have knocked her off her feet.

Jaya was not impressed by her pupil's conviction, and a deep frown creased along her face. _You can't just go and die without thinking things through. Without a way to get to Bolas before he can react, any mission is just suicide._

 _Then I'll just have to hold him in place,_ Jace said.

All eyes turned to him as they recognized the timbre of his voice. It was how Jace sounded whenever he had come up with something that he was sure he could do. Chandra hated that voice, as it usually preceded some manner of smugness from the frequent know-it-all, but this time her heart skipped a beat upon hearing it.

 _How do you plan on holding him,_ Jaya balked, _have you taken up wrestling in your spare time?_

 _No,_ Jace said, ignoring her snark, _I'm not really the one who's gonna hold him. Ravnica will do it for me._

_I'm the Living Guildpact, holder of the laws and rights of Ravnica. As long as I'm on this plane and have access to its mana, any decrees I speak or laws I declare become reality. Bolas is already in clear violation of numerous Ravnican laws, the biggest one at the moment being wide-scale property destruction. All I need to do is declare that he's under arrest and the Guildpact will arrest him then and there._

Chandra's brow furrowed. _Wait, why not just arrest him now? Keep him held until we gather the planeswalkers, then come and stop him._ Chandra knew that the word "stop" wasn't entirely accurate towards her conviction and, she assumed, the conviction of the others. She wanted to say "execute," but thought it better left unsaid, lest Jaya reprimand her again for losing her cool.

 _As strong as Ravnica's magic is,_ Jace answered, _arresting him won't hold him for very long. He'll rebuke the magic maybe a few seconds after it arrests him, then he'll follow it to its source. We need to get close, then I can arrest him._

 _I can extend whatever short time you give,_ Teferi added.

Jace nodded, clearly a step ahead on the plan. _With that small window, it should be enough of an opening for you, Gideon._

 _It will be more than enough,_ Gideon said, his face hardening with anticipation. _It's a good plan; one we can act upon now. We shouldn't waste any more time. The dragon will be slain today._

To Chandra's surprise, Jace agreed with Gideon's haste. _We'll go immediately, but if we all go together, it will be even harder to maintain the cloaking. We should split into two groups, one to go and kill Bolas and one to inform the guilds of our plan. Tracking down Lavinia shouldn't be too difficult._

Jaya heaved a belabored sigh, but Chandra could see a small smile finally break through her mentor's face. _I guess it is the best plan we've got. I'll go find Lavinia, I'd slow you down otherwise._

 _Thank you,_ Gideon beamed, a clear exhilaration undercutting his measured words, _let's not waste any more time._

A smile broke out across Chandra's face. _Finally, we're putting the words aside and getting to the action. Alright, I figure Jaya, Karn, and Ajani can talk to the guild leaders while the four of us go and stick it to Bolas. So, let's get going!_

She took a few steps towards the door, then she felt a familiar weight on her shoulder. She turned, expecting to once again see Jaya's disappointed face, but was shocked to see Gideon's face staring back at her, his eyes stern.

_I'm sorry, Chandra, but you're not coming with us._

Her face fell, happiness replaced with disbelief. _You're kidding, right? The Gatewatch has gotta do this together._

 _No,_ he insisted, _Jace, Teferi, and I are the only ones going to Bolas. You will aid in finding Lavinia and the other guild leaders._

Disbelief turned to anger. _No, no, I'm coming too. Right, Jace?_ Her eyes darted to Jace, who kept his eyes shrouded beneath his hood.

 _Sorry,_ he said, voice trying to stay even, _but I agree with Gideon._

"That's bullshit!" Chandra exclaimed, shattering the room's silence. Her eyes started to glow with a burning intensity, and she could feel her hair was beginning to alight.

Jace took a step toward her. _Chandra, please calm down…_

"NO! I'm not gonna be relegated to personal relations while the three of you get to be the heroes! I'm a member of the Gatewatch, an original member, and I'm not standing on the sidelines while you risk your lives!"

"Chandra," Gideon entreated, "you must understand that this is a delicate operation, one where deliberate and methodical stealth is crucial to its success. We cannot risk anything tipping Bolas off, it would spell the end of our plans, and of Ravnica."

"But I can help! What if you miss your first swing while Bolas is arrested, huh? I can just burst him down with fire, no problem."

Jaya stepped forward now, her voice and countenance walking a fine line between understanding and annoyed. "Chandra, setting aside the fact that your fire is too volatile to work in an assassination attempt, neither of us could produce a flame hot enough to hurt Bolas. He's an Elder Dragon, he's known fire longer than the soil beneath our feet has existed."

"But, b-but what about as a distraction? I can create a light show that'll…"

"Enough," Gideon spoke, trying his best to sound paternal instead of militaristic, "you are not coming with us. The less people our mission needs to succeed, the better chance that everyone walks away alive." He took another step towards her, arms outstretched in a gesture of compassion. Unfortunately, his sentiment fell upon deaf ears and blinded eyes.

Chandra let loose an enraged scream as she sent burst of fire at Gideon's exposed chest. Gideon's protective aura kept him safe from any damage, but the force of the small explosion sent him reeling across the room. He knocked into the table that the group had been standing around a moment earlier, a cascade of papers falling to the floor.

The room feel intensely silent, with only Chandra's heavy breathing breaking up the uncomfortable quiet. Ajani rushed to Gideon's side and helped him to his feet, but all eyes were on Chandra. She scanned the room, looks of confusion and consternation enveloping her field of vision. Slowly, the embers in her hairs extinguished, the light in her eyes died down, and she brought her hands down to her sides, fists balled tight.

"I-i-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Chandra," said Jaya, her voice seething, "you are out of line. I don't want you anywhere near any part of this mission."

"No, Jaya, it's fine." Gideon stood up straight and brushed at the blast of soot now covering his armored chest. "This is a stressful time, a dire time. It's a time when we all are putting our lives on the line so that we can save Ravnica, save the multiverse, from the greatest evil it has ever seen. If any of you are calm and collected in this moment, then you are either lying through your teeth or you're not fully aware of how grave a situation this is."

Gideon's eyes scanned the faces of his compatriots, eyes burning hotter than any fire Chandra had ever felt. No one met his gaze, either choosing to stare at the floor or at the blast mark on Gideon's chest.

 _I guess I'm not the only one who needed to hear that,_ thought Chandra. She offered Gideon a small smile, and she saw his eyes soften slightly. Once his eyes swept over everybody, he continued speaking:

"We cannot afford to be disjointed at a time like this. No matter how anxious you may feel, no matter how much anger you have bubbling up, no matter how hopeless things might seem, we must remain united. Not just for our own sake, but the sake of every being that Bolas will destroy if his plans can unfold.

"Chandra, I know you want to fight the good fight. It's why you were there at the Gatewatch's inception. But you must understand that your strength is needed on the ground. There are planeswalkers all over this plane who can help us, ten guilds with limitless resources to defend their homes, but none of them will work together unless they know what is at stake. Your job is just as important to taking down Bolas as mine and as anyone else in this room. When I plunge Blackblade into that dragon's pitch-black heart, I will feel all of you, and hopefully all of Ravnica, pushing the blade as far as it will go. Can you do that, Chandra?"

Chandra bit her lip, trying her damnedest to keep the tears from bursting through her ducts. She managed to nod, and smiles started to wash over everyone's faces (besides Karn's immovable metal one). Jace looked to Gideon, and Gideon saw a new look in the mind-mage's eyes: hope.

"Well, I'm sure you're all sick of hearing me talk now," Gideon laughed. He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, embarrassed by the attention. This passed quickly, and he put his and firmly on Blackblade's hilt. With one swift motion, he unsheathed the obsidian sword and pointed it to the door. "Alright everybody, we all know the plan now. It's time to take Ravnica back, once and for a-"

Gideon's words were cut short by an earsplitting crack. Before any of them could react, an ethereal energy ripped through Jace's quarters. It was as if a hurricane had been tossed at the building itself. The room exploded in a fury of sound and light. Powerful forces tore across every surface. Everything was engulfed in light purple, then, as the building collapsed around the Gatewatch, everything went black.


	7. Guildpact Informant

"So, let me see if I have all this straight," said Teyo, his voice reverberating around the brick walls of the bell tower's lengthy staircase, "here on Ravnica, which is an entire plane of existence that's just a city and its outskirts, there are ten guilds you can join."

"Yes," Lavinia responded curtly from behind him.

"And they're not, like, normal guilds, like the ones I had back home. There was a Carpenter's Guild in Oasis, and I think an Artisan's Guild. But these aren't like that. These guilds are magic-focused and run the biggest parts of the city."

"Right," Kaya answered, her head facing forward despite Teyo standing behind her.

"And the guilds are…" he paused, bringing relative silence back to the stairwell, save the clacking of shoes against stone steps. "Um, what are the guilds again?"

Lavinia heaved a massive sigh. She wanted to ignore the young man's questions, but since they were now on a mission to gather the guild leaders, he needed to know just what he was in for.

"The ten guilds are, and listen carefully, because I don't want to repeat myself: Azorius, Orzhov, Izzet, Boros, Selesnya, Simic, Gruul, Dimir, Rakdos, and Golgari."

"Right, right," Teyo muttered, his eyes drifting up as he attempted to commit the names to memory. "You're a member of Azorius…"

"Former member," Lavinia grumbled, not loud enough for Teyo to hear.

"…who are basically the people who keep the laws. Miss Kaya is the leader of the Orzhov, which is like a church mixed with a bank that holds all the ghosts of dead Ravnica citizens, right?"

Kaya turned her head slightly and looked at Teyo from her periphery. "Pretty much sums it up. Though they're not too happy with me at the moment after I freed a bunch of trapped debtor souls."

"Right, and then Mr. Zarek is the leader of the Izzet, who are the people who invent things for the city to use."

"Good memory, kid," Ral called from the front of their procession, "but I'm not the leader, just a member." _The most senior, most powerful member, who was the right-hand to the leader that just died._ Ral ignored this thought, choosing to focus on Teyo's listing practice.

"The Boros are the city's military and police, the Selesnya are the people who worship a big tree, the Gruul are the wild ones that live outside the city, the Simic are the ones who do creature experiments to try and make life better, the Dimir are the spies and assassins, the Golgari are the people who live in the underground, and the Rakdos are the crazy people who like violence and blood. Did I get that all right?"

"Spot on," said Ral.

"Thanks, my mentor always said I had a way with names." Teyo smiled, proud of his quick adaption, but no one saw it. Then, a question popped into his mind, something he didn't truly want to ask about, but he figured he would need to know everything as long as he was trapped here. "Um, what guild did your other friend belong to? You know, the one we left in the bell tower?"

The air grew thick and heavy, and everyone but Teyo stiffened at the mention of Hekara. There was a long, pregnant pause before Lavinia answered.

"Her name is Hekara, and she belonged to the Rakdos. She was a razorwitch, someone who specializes in small magical blades."

"Oh, she was one of the crazy people." Teyo paused, contemplating this odd fact. "Well, I guess that means the Rakdos are on our side, if she was working with all of you."

"They were," spat Kaya, "but I can't imagine the big boss'll be happy when his emissary doesn't come back."

Ral turned his head to Kaya. "Then we'll just need to focus on getting the other guilds behind us."

"Easier said than done, Zarek. I may be the guild leader of the Orzhov, but they don't listen to me since I killed of that blasted Obzedat. They follow Teysa, and there's no way she'll give up a cent to help us."

"Maybe I can talk to Tomik," Ral said, trying his best to keep his voice even and unemotional. It didn't work, and Kaya smirked.

"Your boyfriend may be Teysa's right-hand man, but I doubt he'd go against her wishes. Besides, you and I both know you don't want to talk to him about _this_."

Ral snapped his head forward, hoping Kaya did not see the flush in his cheeks that her jibes had produced. Silently, he reached into his pants pocket and clenched onto the white piece of fabric he had been carrying for weeks. Tomik had given him a piece of his robe just before the meeting to make Niv-Mizzet the Living Guildpact, just before his careful plan had gone up in smoke. Ral had done the same, tearing a red piece of cloth from his shirt to gift him. He hadn't seen Tomik since that night, his plans against Bolas keeping him preoccupied. He wondered if Tomik was still carrying his piece of Ral.

Lavinia's hard voice broke through Ral's thoughts of Tomik. "Ok, so the Orzhov might not work. The Azorius will oppose us, since Baan is still in charge. I've heard the Gruul have a new leader who's aligned himself with Bolas, so they're out too. The Rakdos already didn't want any part of this, I doubt they'll help now. The Dimir are probably held up in Duskmantle, and the Selesnya will be secured in Vhitu-Gazi, so neither of them will want to help either. Simic might help, and the Boros will definitely fight with us. The Golgari are stagnant as they try to figure out who the rightful leader is in Vraska's absence. And with Ral here, we have the Izzet behind us, right?"

"Uh, yeah, right," Ral stuttered out, "though I am, once again, not the leader."

"Whatever you say," Kaya said sarcastically. "So that gives us two definite allies with Izzet and Boros and two definite enemies, Azorius and Gruul. Everyone else is up in the air. Shit, we really have our work cut out for us."

"It can't be that bad, right?" asked Teyo, nearly stumbling on the steps as he listened to the others talk. "You've worked with the other leaders before, and if you explain what's happening, they should want to help the city too."

"That's the hope," Lavinia huffed, "but you haven't been here long enough to know that getting the guilds to work together is much easier said than done. Especially when the worst thing Bolas has done so far is put up a new building and statue in the neutral district."

As soon as Lavinia spoke these words, the sound of a ripping explosion blasted through the echoing stairwell. The whole tower shook violently as a surge of energy buffeted its spires. The four allies did their best to maintain their footing, hunkering down until the sudden tremor died down. Once it passed, they all shared a silent look before rushing to the bottom of the stair and out the door.

Ral was the first to step into the morning sun, and he stopped dead in his tracks as he looked over the rooftops to see the source of the explosion. Kaya, Teyo, and Lavinia soon followed, each stopping next to Ral to gaze at the same awesome spectacle. There, in the middle of the Azorius district, was a massive circle of pulsating electric energy. It stood over fifty feet, filling the sky with an ethereal purple light and casting long, ominous shadows across the adjacent buildings.

While the local Ravnicans stood transfixed, Teyo broke the silence. "So, I take it that isn't usually there?"

"No," Lavinia muttered, too shocked to muster her usual harshness, "no it is not. That area is normally home to the office of the Living Guildpact."

"But what is that thing?" Ral asked.

"I don't know," Kaya answered, "but if Bolas brought it here as part of his plan, it can't be good."


	8. Settle the Wreckage

Chandra awoke to the sounds of panicked screaming and the smell of smoldering wood. Her eyes fluttered open, then shut immediately against the harsh violet light that seemed to engulf her. She propped herself up on her elbows and tried to stand, but she felt something pinning her chest down. Her breathing was labored, a consequence of both the object compressing her lungs and the particles of ash lingering in the air.

 _Shit, what was that?_ She cracked her eyes open, just enough to give them time to adjust to the light. Once she could see, she looked down to whatever she was trapped under. An iron beam, one of many that supported the roof of the Embassy of the Guildpact.

_The building… everybody! I need to find them!_

Chandra dug her palms into the ground and tried to pull herself out from beneath the large beam. A shooting pain rippled up her torso. She cried out, her elbows buckling from the sudden burst of pain.

_Shit, shit, shit! I guess I gotta burn my way out of this._

Chandra let the burning energy within her flow from her fingertips and coalesce in her hands. Her hair ignited, and as the energy flow widened, she directed the fire to the beam. She let loose a torrent of red-hot flame at it, holding the blast for a few seconds. This was as long as she could hold before the pain came back, washing over her body with a renewed fervor. She grit her teeth and let her flame die down.

The beam was orange with heat, but she had made no progress in carving a path through the thick length of metal. Tears started to well in her eyes, though she couldn't tell if they were caused by the injuries she'd sustained in the explosion or from her own frustration.

_Crap! I can't just blast it, the beam's too big to melt. I need a controlled fire to cut it, like one of those welding torches Mom always uses. Dammit!_

In her head, she could hear Jaya's words repeat, a constant disapproving lesson. "You need to control your flame." "Don't get angry, put your emotions aside." "You'll never master this if you can't restrain yourself." "I see her, she's over there!"

Chandra paused. _Wait, was that last one in my head?_

She craned her neck to where she thought the voice was coming from, and she saw a hulking silhouette approach. Karn's silver frame soon cast a long shadow over her, blocking the ceaseless onslaught of violet light. The golem's hands glowed with a silver light as he reached down to the beam on Chandra's chest. He grabbed it and pried from its spot, the metal bending like rubber in his magical grasp.

Air rushed into Chandra's now-unobstructed lungs, causing her to violently cough. Her chest hurt with each cough, but the dusty air made it impossible for her to stop. Karn held out a hand, no longer glowing, and helped Chandra to her feet. She tried to stand up straight, but the searing pain in her chest made her double over, her jaw seizing up. Karn silently took her arm over his wide shoulders and propped her up, his metallic frame easily supporting her weight. She put an arm over her stomach and offered a terse "Thanks" through clenched teeth.

She heard more footsteps approaching. Though she could not discern who was coming through her tear-streaked vision, she counted five pairs of feet fast approaching.

"Chandra! Are you okay?" Jaya asked frantically.

"I'm f-" Chandra tried to continue, but she could only let out another dry cough that sent another wave of pain across her body.

Jaya took a step toward her. "You're not fine. I think you've broken a rib or two."

"Stand back," came Ajani's low growl, "I'll heal whatever injuries you sustained." He began a low chant, channeling the instincts of his pride back home. Incandescent light appeared in his paws, and he pressed it to Chandra's stomach. She seized up at his slight touch, the provocation roiling her internal injuries, but just as soon as the pain came, she felt it ebb away.

Her strength restored, Chandra let go of Karn and steadied herself on her own two feet. The tears in her eyes receded, and as her vision readjusted, she could finally see what was happening. The dirty and wounded faces of the Gatewatch stared back at her, looks of defeat, terror, and rage spread across them. But Chandra could hardly focus on them, as she looked past them to the fifty-story circle of violet energy that stood in the rubble of Jace's former office. Her mouth fell open in horror, as a stark realization lodged itself in her brain: she recognized this portal.

"It's the Planar Bridge," she said in disbelief. "Bolas has the Planar Bridge."

Her eyes fell from the bright façade of the Bridge to the street where it appeared, and a new wave of repulsion crashed over her at the chaos of the scene. Not only were the surrounding buildings reduced to piles of brick and mortar, but the cobblestone road was shattered, split cleanly by the Bridge's power. She could see bodies trapped beneath the rubble; hands outstretched that had already ceased moving.

The citizens were in a frenzy. Minutes before they had been living their quiet, unassuming lives, only for armageddon to fall upon them. Most of the Ravnicans were panicked, running back to their homes, pushing children who were asking questions their parents did not know how to answer. Some, however, were not as fortunate. The Bridge had opened in an instant, and anything caught in its path was at its mercy.

Her eyes fell on a small human girl, no older than six. The girl held her mother's hand and was trying to pull her to safety, desperately ignoring that her mother no longer had a body below her shoulders.

Chandra wanted to vomit, but she held back her bile and tore her eyes away from the carnage surrounding her so she could talk to her team. There was silence among them, but Chandra was not afraid to break it in a time like this.  
"Is everybody else okay?" she asked, her voice still raspy from her injuries.

"We're all mostly fine," Gideon reassured. His voice was hard with resolve, and for the first time, Chandra could tell that the brave face he wore was concealing something else. "Ajani has done a good job of healing."

Chandra nodded, putting a hand on her own stomach. "That's good. But how did we even survive? The Bridge should have cut clean through us, but none of us were hit."

Teferi was the one to speak up. "I was able to slow time as soon as I heard the explosion. With it, I managed to push everybody out of its path, but I couldn't get us out of the building in time. And not all of us completely dodged the portal." His eyes fell to Gideon's arm, which he instantly tried to cover. He was too slow, and Chandra gasped when she saw what Teferi was looking at.

A huge wound, like a cut from a massive saw blade, traced the back of Gideon's arm. From his shoulder joint to his elbow, a black trail of scarred, burnt flesh now ran. It looked deep, so deep that she thought if Teferi had been a fraction of a second slower, Gideon would have lost the arm completely. This terrified her, seeing the indestructible Gideon suffer any kind of damage, but the terror soon deepened, as a horrific revelation appeared before her.

"That's my fault," she whispered.

Gideon immediately dismissed her claims. "No, it's not your fault. Any of us could've been in the Bridge's way when it opened. At least my aura was able to deflect some small amount of the energy, and Ajani's magic closed it enough to stop it from hurting too much."

"But you were only there because of me. If I hadn't blasted you with that fire, if I could have just controlled my damn emotions, that wouldn't have happened!"

"Chandra…" said Jace, his voice filled with worry for his friend. He started to extend a hand, but he thought better of it and placed it by his side once more.

"None of that matters now," Gideon asserted, "what we need to focus on is figuring out Bolas' plan and taking him down."

Chandra clenched her fists in frustration, but she knew that Gideon was right. For the time being, she would just have to crawl as far out of her mental abyss as she could. She gave Gideon a small nod of acknowledgement, but she could not bring herself to look him in the eyes. He smiled, but she did not see.

"The plan hasn't changed, has it?" Jaya asked the group. "We should still send one group to gather the guild leaders while another group goes to kill Bolas."

"But what about the Bridge?" asked Teferi. "What does Bolas plan to do with it?"

"It doesn't matter," Gideon spoke with a commanding authority. "If the dragon is dead, his plans cannot come to fruition. We need to find him and destroy him as quick as we can. He's already caused so much destruction, left so much death in his wake, and I fear it's only the beginning. We need to stop him, just as we had planned before."

Jace tentatively raised a glove hand. "Well, the plan we had earlier isn't going to work now."

"Why not?" Gideon's voice was low, but all could sense the worry behind his words. "Were you injured in the explosion?"

"No, nothing like that. It's not me who's been injured, it's Ravnica."

All heads turned to Jace, cocked in confusion. "What do you mean?" Ajani asked.

"There's a reason Bolas opened the Planar Bridge right here, right on this spot."

Gideon's eyes narrowed. "Yes, because he somehow saw through all of your illusions and blockades and knew we were there. He knows we're the biggest threat to him, so he tried to take us out."

"No," Jace said flatly, "I'm certain that was a coincidence. Bolas may know that we're here, but that's not why he put the Bridge here. He did it to sever Ravnica's leylines. The Embassy of the Guildpact was specifically built on top of the spot where all the leylines in Ravnica converge. Since the Bridge seems to be capable of cutting through magic, even strong magic like your indestructible aura, Gideon, he used it to disconnect the leyline's flow."

"What does that mean?" Ajani asked.

Jace's tone grew cold. "It means that anyone drawing their powers from Ravnica's magic is now completely powerless. Which means that I'm no longer the Living Guildpact. The Guildpact no longer exists."

Gideon tightened his grip on the sword hilt by his side. "So, our plan to kill Bolas?"

"It won't work. I no longer have any way of arresting him. Even if we could get close to him, he'd wipe the floor with us before we could do anything."

"Then what do we do now? There must be something else!"

Jace's voice barely made it above a whisper. "I don't know." In the back of his mind, Jace blamed himself for this setback.

_I should have known Bolas would cut off Ravnica's magic. Maybe if I had gotten here early, I could've figured out a way to reroute the magic somewhere else. Uproot the ancient stones and put them out of harm's way. Vraska's stone manipulation could have helped…_

Jace felt a hand on his shoulder, the sensation snapping him back to reality. He looked past the tip of his hood and saw Gideon looking at him, a slight smile breaking up his chiseled features.

"It doesn't matter if we don't have a plan yet. We'll find one. Nicol Bolas will not live to see another sunrise. You always come up with something."

A warmth spread through Jace's chest with these words, a feeling of happiness he had not felt in a long, long time. He wanted to believe Gideon's words, to desperately make his friend's claim a reality, and for a single moment, he truly did believe.

The moment, however, could not last forever, as the comforting sensation in Jace's chest immediately receded as an otherworldly buzzing started to emanate from the portal. It hummed and pulsated, surges of energy rippling across the violet surface. It shook the ground with its resonant vibrations, stirring the Gatewatch and commanding all their attention.

"What's happening now?" asked Gideon, readying to draw his blade.

Chandra looked at the portal, its purple energy dancing across her pupils. She thought that, in another context, the sight would be beautiful. But she knew what was about to happen, and there was nothing beautiful about it. Gripped with fear, all she could do was utter a single sentence, drowned out by the incessant hum of the sinister device.

"The Planar Bridge is about to open."


	9. Crow of Dark Tidings

She could see them. From high atop the onyx citadel, Liliana could see her former allies. Despite the huge distance between her and them, there was no mistaking their distinctive features. Chandra's blazing hair, Jaya Ballard's blood-red robes, Ajani's pristine mane and oversized axe, Karn's silver exterior, Teferi's massive crook that leaked with chronomancy, Gideon's unmistakable aura, and Jace's familiar blue robes that now shimmered with his summoned magic. She could see them, but none of them saw her. No, their focus was on the very thing Liliana was trying her damnedest to ignore: the Planar Bridge's opening.

While she stared at the Gatewatch, the dancing lavender lights of the portal filled her periphery. Even with the distance, Liliana could hear the hum in the distance and see the crackles of plasma shooting off into the adjacent rooftops.

_Look at those fool down there, posing for battle like the brave heroes they're always claiming to be. They truly have no idea what's about to happen to this city._

And yet, there was a part of her that wanted to be down there with them, flashing her necromantic prowess for all to see. Part of her wanted to be a hero. She let out a small sigh.

 _They've always painted you as the villain,_ she thought to herself, _and now look at you. A lackey for a delusional dragon. A self-fulfilling prophecy. A fucking joke._

"You mustn't be too hard on yourself, Liliana. Nothing you could have done would have stopped this from happening."

Liliana's heart leapt to her throat at the voice coming from behind her. A voice she recognized instantly, a dark, ominous voice that almost sounded like the distant caw of a raven. Not wanting to show her surprise, Liliana quickly composed herself and forced her face into a look of cool aloofness. Then she felt ready to and address the mysterious figure she knew only as the Raven Man.

"And what are you doing here?" she said, not turning around to face him.

She didn't to ask how he knew what she was thinking. Ever since she had first met the Raven Man in her youth, he had always known things about her she couldn't explain. Perhaps it was telepathy, like Jace, but recently she suspected there was more at play inside her head.

"I was summoned here," he crowed, his voice laced with an intrinsic menace. "I'm not sure by what, but I knew I had to be here. I would not dare miss this."

"Miss what?"

"My triumph. You've tried to fight my machinations for so long, Liliana, yet no matter what you did, you were always destined to be right here, right now. Crushed beneath the thumb of Nicol Bolas, carrying out his orders like a trained dog."

Since the Raven Man had spoken up, Liliana had felt a burning rage start to consume her. With each word he spoke, her heart pumped more pitch-black hatred through her veins. These final words, however, completely filled her body with the ichor. Seizing it, her hands began to glow with a deep, threatening purple. She let out a yell, a guttural sound that came from the furthest reaches of her mind, as she turned to strike the Rave Man with all her eldritch powers.

Their eyes met as she finally faced him. He looked exactly as he always had: white, wind-tossed hair, black robe trimmed with gold, and those damned golden eyes that she could always feel piercing the back of her head. As she stared into those eyes, she thrust a hand into the Raven Man's chest, letting her necromancy shoot from her fingers in order to destroy him once and for all.

She was too slow. As her hand reached him, the Raven Man's form changed, his human shape exploding into a flock of ravens that scattered in all directions. Liliana's fist flew through them, her magic leaking into the open air and dissipating in the strong citadel winds.

Liliana clenched her fists and grit her teeth in frustration, the coalescing magic on her hands quietly receding. The crows cawed loudly all around her, their persistent cry seemingly mocking her efforts. The birds gathered a few feet in front of her before transforming back into the gaunt frame of the Raven Man.

He smiled down at Liliana, his eyes glittering with the far-off light of the Planar Bridge. "You know that's quite unnecessary, Lili. If you were capable of killing me, I would have died long ago. Besides, I did not come here to fight you."

"Then why are you here?" she growled, staring daggers at her tormentor.

"Me? I'm just here to watch. I want the best view possible for when you bring this city to its knees for your master."

"He is not my master…"

"Oh, no? I must be mistaken then. By all means, feel free to leave his palace roof whenever you want then." His smile widened with sadistic glee as Liliana stood stock-still, her body seemingly unable to move even an inch. "You can try and lie to yourself all you want, but do not insult me by feeding me the same tired excuses I've already seen in your head."

He paused, his gaze now moving past her to the Ravnican vista behind her. With a quick motion of his head, the Raven Man gestured to Liliana. "Well, I suppose that's your cue."

Liliana turned to see what he was talking about, and she felt the weight in her stomach double. The face of the Planar Bridge, which had been a dazzling purple moments ago, was now translucent. Instead of a solid wall of violet energy, it appeared like a thin purple film that separated the urban landscape of Ravnica from the harsh desert of Amonkhet.

Through the portal, she could see the ruins of Naktamun, the great city that Nicol Bolas had created millennia ago and destroyed only recently. Houses crumbled, trees fallen or sucked dry, and not a living creature in sight. It was ruin, but even this sight was not the worst thing to behold on the other side of the portal. No, that would be the ranks of undead soldiers, standing in perfect formation in front of the portal.

"The Dreadhorde," she whispered to herself, almost in disbelief. She had been on Amonkhet when Bolas first raised the Eternals, his personal army of zombified beings. He had taken the fallen of Amonkhet, those who had been the strongest in life, and covered them in lazotep, a hard, magical mineral shell. Any creature that Bolas saw fit, from humans to minotaurs, avens and jackals, cats and dragons, was given a nigh-indestructible coat of armor. And now, all of them were marching through the Planar Bridge in horrible, unthinking unison. They did not look at their surroundings, they merely advanced into Ravnica. The only thing they were waiting for, the only thing keeping them from razing the city to bedrock, was the command of their leader, Liliana Vess.

Silently, Liliana reached a gloved hand behind her back, grasping at the small pouch she kept hidden behind the flowing purple satin. She found it, undid the latch, and pulled its contents out. She looked at the Chain Veil, its empty eyeholes seemingly staring back with a content malevolence.

She held it in her hands, her fingertips brushing over the gilded surface. Though it was made of many small links of gold, the material was smoother than any fabric Liliana had ever felt. It had a thin, malleable strap that sprang from its top in three directions, designed to wrap around and over the wearer's head. It jingled quietly as the breeze swept over the citadel's roof, and Liliana shuddered. She couldn't be sure, but she thought, intertwined with the wind, she heard the dissonant calls of the Onakke spirits trapped within the Veil.

"Well, aren't you going to put it on?" the Raven Man asked as he leered forward. Liliana had nearly forgotten his presence, her full attention on the Chain Veil in her hand as she tried to forget her task at hand.

"And what if I don't?" she asked him coldly, balling her fist around the Veil. "What if I refuse to be his, and your, pawn anymore?"

He flashed a toothy grin to the back of her head. "Then you die."

His words hung in the air, immovable even by the constant gale. They echoed in Liliana's skull, pushing out any stray thoughts to occupy every dark corner and recess of her mind. Those three simple words, repeated ad nauseum in her thoughts.

"Then you die."

_No._

Liliana loosened her grip and allowed the Chain Veil to unfurl in her hands. She once again met its empty eyeholes, but her own stare was harder, crueler than before.

_No, Liliana Vess does not die. I can still remember a time when that would have been impossible. Planeswalkers were gods. I was a god. Then that damn Mending happened. The multiverse flinched, and what a planeswalker was changed forever. The Gatewatch, they never understood why I did what I did. I always said I'd get back to that state at any cost, be a god again at any cost…_

Without another word, Liliana took the Chain Veil by the straps. She closed her eyes and gingerly wound it around her head. She secured the clasp to her ornate headband and let go.

Her eyes suddenly shot open as a surge of power stampeded from the Veil into her body. The arcane energy engulfed her, alighting her irises and her mystical tattoos with a brilliant purple light. It wormed its way to her chest, and she felt the ancient magics intertwine with her spark, her soul. It was overwhelming.

The onakke spirits within the Chain Veil cackled, their raspy voices now audible.

_"You have our power now, Vess, but only some. A mere fraction."_

_"Submit to us, and you could do so much more."_

_"Let us flow freely. You know it is what you want."_

_Shut the hell up!_ she barked at them. She grit her teeth hard, nearly grinding them together in concentration, as she forced the influence of the spirits back into the Veil. _I don't need all your power to command this army. A fraction will do._

The voices receded to unintelligible whispers in the back of her mind, quiet enough that she felt she could ignore them for the time being. She looked up and down her arms at the swirling purple patterns etched into her skin. The tattoos signified the contract that granted her power. The contract she had signed with four demons, whom she killed. The contract that now bound her life to Bolas.

_You've always been willing to do what you must to survive. Chandra, Gideon, Jace, none of them know what it's like to have immortality ripped from you. They called you a villainess from the start, so why stop now?_

The violet light pouring from her eyes suddenly exploded, flooding forward in a sweeping wave across the Ravnican skyline. It passed over houses, people, and animals with no ill effects. It was not until it washed across the rank and file of the undead Eternals that Liliana's necromancy could take hold. The eyes of the Eternals, empty sockets filled with lazotep, filled with the same purple light. One by one, Liliana's mind was split between each zombie, each once-living human and jackal and minotaur and angel and dragon. If it were not for the power granted by the Chain Veil, her head would have split from the strain. Instead, all she felt was an empty pit in her stomach.

Behind her, the Raven Man laughed. A low, deep chuckle that would barely register if her senses were not sharpened. "Predictable as ever, Lili. I'll be going now, I want to find the best views for your conquest. I do hope you reconsider the onakke's offer. If you need me, just look for the shadow in the sky." She heard his voice disappear, and a mass of cawing replace it. Wings flapped in all directions, ravens scattering like bits of ash in the wind. In a few seconds, she was left alone.

Liliana looked once more for the Gatewatch. She found them almost exactly where they were, their defensive poses now aimed toward the horde of Eternals. The zombies now stood at full attention, weapons in hand. She tried to make out the faces of her former allies, to see what they were feeling at this moment, but they were obscured.

_I wonder if they know it's me doing this._

Tears ran down her cheeks, though the Chain Veil blocked them from sight as she silently sobbed.

_I guess it's time for Liliana Vess to do what she does best._

With a wave of her hand, she sent out the telepathic command to the undead army. It was the only thing on her mind in that moment, the brief statement that the Eternals would follow as long as they stood: kill all who stand in your way.


	10. Dreadhorde Invasion

_How is this even possible?_ Jace's thoughts were urgent in his teammates' ears. They continued to watch the mindless Dreadhorde march out of the Planar Bridge, filling the streets without reacting to the myriad Ravnica citizens who had yet to retreat. _How are the Eternals just walking through the Bridge?_

 _What even are those things?_ Teferi asked. _They look like corpses, but why are they blue?_

 _They are corpses,_ Gideon answered, his words harsh to mask his disgust, _but they are coated in a magical mineral, lazotep. We found Bolas' operation when we were last on Amonkhet._

 _Where we were beaten into submission,_ Chandra added. A frown creased Gideon's face at the reminder of his, of their defeat.

Jace huffed in frustration. _That doesn't answer my question as to how creatures, living or dead, can pass through the fifty-yard magic barrier in front of us._

 _Well,_ Chandra offered, _the Planar Bridge lets inorganic matter through its front, so I'd guess the lazotep is shielding the corpses._

 _So, this is Bolas' plan. He's going to try and tear down the city with an undead army. How dare he underestimate me?_ Gideon's grip on Blackblade tightened, and he readied to unsheathe it and cut down the Eternals marching before him.

 _Wait!_ Jace yelled, putting out a hand to block Gideon's path. _We cannot just go rushing into a fight. That might be exactly what Bolas wants._

Gideon balked at his ally. _We cannot just let his abominations fill the city. Enough civilians have died from Bolas' machinations already, but now he has a way to turn accidental deaths into a genocide!_

As Gideon threw these words into everyone's mind, a sudden shift in the air washed over them. It grew cold and stiff, an almost imperceptible aroma of malevolence present. It was as if the specter of death himself has passed through them, deeming them unworthy of his attention while still leaving a lasting imprint. It was magic, and as Chandra, Gideon, and Jace all locked eyes, it was clear they recognized the sensation.

 _That's Liliana's magic,_ Chandra thought, her surprise obvious to all listening. _She did make it here after all._

 _But what kind of spell was that?_ Jace's voice was measured, too measured to fool Gideon and Chandra. They knew that, of the three of them, no one could be chilled more by Liliana's abilities, or why she would use them.

It was only a moment after Jace posed his question that he received his answer. Though the magic merely passed through their bodies, the Gatewatch saw the waves of necromancy enter the Eternals. It phased through their mineral husks, and the bodies underneath stiffened with its influence. Their vacant eyes sockets lit up with Liliana's distinct purple energy, which also illuminated the cartouches the zombies wore around their necks.

The air was still and heavy for a few seconds, with neither the Dreadhorde nor the Gatewatch moving a muscle. Anticipation held like a thick fog between them, with Jace, Chandra, Gideon, and the rest adopting aggressive stances in case they needed to spring into action.

 _Maybe they're stopped?_ Gideon thought, breaking the uneasy silence. _If Liliana is here, there's a chance she's fighting with us, against Bolas. She could be holding these things back._

 _I wouldn't get my hopes up,_ spat Jace. _I know you don't give up on anybody, but Liliana's a lost cause._

Chandra kept quiet, but internally she nodded at Jace's words. They could feel Gideon's disapproval in their minds even before he spoke.

_There's always time for someone to change. You know that all too well, Jace. Until I see for myself that Liliana is working against us, I won't give up on her._

Jace was prepared to respond, but he quickly cut off his thought as he sensed movement near him. He turned, and they all saw the Eternals now breaking rank and moving to civilians. Those with weapons brandished them, while those with claws or teeth bared them. The citizens of Ravnica, who had stayed in the Plaza out of curiosity, or fear, or even courage, were soon beset by the monsters.

Sword and hand, axe and spear, and tooth and nail struck innocent flesh. In an instant, the streets were splattered red as the superpowered zombies cut and ripped into the ordinary people caught in their path.

"No!" Gideon screamed, breaking the oppressive silence. His instincts for battle kicked in, instincts honed from years as a street urchin on Theros and as a warrior across the Multiverse. In one clean motion, he unsheathed Blackblade and charged forward with a guttural howl.

 _Dammit Gideon,_ Jace called after him as the rest of the Gatewatch tightened their formation and activated their magics, _what are you doing?!_

_Protecting these people! What else would you have me do?_

_You need to put away that sword! We can't afford to tip Bolas off that we have the one thing in the multiverse that has killed an Elder Dragon. If Eternals' souls are suddenly being sucked into it, Liliana will know and tell him!_

Gideon pushed a heavy breath out of his nostrils. _Very well._ With a deft hand, he slid Blackblade back into its protective sheath. Then, with a flick of his wrist, three tendril-like whips emerged from the bracer on his left hand. The whips glowed white with Gideon's aura, leaving a streak of light as Gideon leapt forward to the nearest Eternal he could find.

Jace sighed, reluctant to let Gideon run off alone but knowing that he could not stop him. _He'll be fine, at least his indestructible aura should shield him._

At this point, Jace severed the psychic connection between the Gatewatch members, thinking it more necessary to conserve his magical strength as the Eternals encroached on the group. Their movement was slow and methodical, but they advanced nonetheless on the six planeswalkers.

"Anybody got any ideas of what to do?" Jace asked, his eyes shifting between the ten or so advancing Eternals in his field of vision. "My suggestion would be retreat for now."

"We can't just run and hide while people are dying!" Chandra reprimanded him. "These people can't defend themselves, so we need to help."

Instantly, Chandra's hair and eyes ignited, her teammates feeling the heat radiating from her body. With both hands close to her chest, she produced a ball of flame between them. It grew to the size of a watermelon, and then, with a hefty grunt, she flung it toward a minotaur Eternal about to bear down on them.

The blast struck the Eternal square in the snout, exploding on impact with a torrent of flames. Chandra smiled as the minotaur reared back for a moment, but her hope quickly dashed as she noticed its stride was unimpeded. It kept moving forward, the same speed as before. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the fire on its face extinguished, leaving the Eternal unscathed.

Chandra's mouth hung open for a second. She quickly shook it off. _So, just one fireball won't do it, huh? Guess I just have to turn up the heat._

She pulled apart both hands and held them before her. Two balls of flames appeared in each palm, smaller and hotter than the previous one. She quickly lobbed them both in succession at the same minotaur zombie. They splashed on impact, dousing its face and chest briefly in the flames, but it remained unaffected. She tried again and again, throwing twenty or so fireballs in a dizzying volley, but not one proved effective.

"Wait, what is this? How did that thing stand up to all of that? I've melted frickin' rocks with fire weaker than that!"

"It's the lazotep," Jace answered, his brow furrowed. "It looks like it doesn't just shield the Eternals from the Planar Bridge. It's dissipating the magic as it touches it."

"Blasts like that aren't going to do much, Chandra," came Jaya's fierce critique.

Chandra's eyes hardened with a sudden burst of anger. "Then what the fuck are we supposed to do?"

Jaya's voice, while stern, remained calm in opposition to Chandra's outburst. "If the magic is dissipated, then we need to make sure that our attacks are smaller. The less area of lazotep the attack hits, the less it can be dispersed."

"Your senility's showing, Jaya," Chandra quipped, attempting to cover her anger with a thin layer of humor. "Using weaker attacks isn't gonna get us anywhere!"

"Who said anything about weaker attacks?"

Jaya pulled her goggles over her eyes and gave a dramatic flick of her wrist. She held up her pointer and middle fingers, and a bright-red flame appeared on the tips. She then leveled her fingers at the head of the minotaur Eternal that Chandra had flung her fireballs at. The fire shot from her fingertips like a bullet, and it struck the minotaur directly in the forehead. The lazotep cracked on impact, and the fire burrowed through the creature's decaying skull before exploding out the back of its head. It stopped moving, then fell to the ground with an unceremonious _whump_.

Jaya turned to Chandra, who was enraptured with the display. "Chandra, when you're not focused, your fire is strong but spread. You just need to concentrate. Pack all your fury into a little space and send it out."

Chandra nodded. "I think I can do that."

"Great, get on it," Jace said curtly. He was occupied at the moment attempting to penetrate the Eternals' minds, just in case his telepathy could override Liliana's commands. The endeavor was proving fruitless, as the brains inside the crystalline shells had long since rotted away. They were more puppet than conscious being, and Jace's magic couldn't wrest the strings away from Liliana's hands.

_Crap, I'm going to need a new strategy._

As he broke his focus for a moment, his vision caught a scene in the distance. Gideon was advancing through the crowd of Eternals, but Jace could see clearer than him that he was slowly being boxed in by the hoard. He quickly reopened the telepathic channel with his teammate.

_Gideon, you need to get out of there now! The Eternals are closing around you. Your aura can only do so much if you suffocate under a pile of walking corpses!_

Gideon's voice came back gruff and haggard, as if his thoughts were also running out of breath from the exertion. _I know that, but I need to get these civilians to safety and these damnable things won't go down!_

Jace squinted, trying to see what Gideon meant by this. In the distance, he watched Gideon move, and a sudden realization hit. Gideon's whips, while suffused with magic, were designed to slash across bodies, buffeting them at worst and flaying them at best. Unfortunately, the lazotep deflected both the hieromancy and the whip's lashing. Thus, Gideon pushed the Eternals out of his way as he charged forward and cleared a path for the civilians, only for the corpses to stand back up and advance on him from behind. He had unwittingly ensnared himself, and with only his whip, he would be overwhelmed in a matter of moments.

 _Gideon, you're going to need something more effective than your whips,_ Jace said reluctantly. _You need to use Blackblade. I'm going to reorganize how I'm using my powers, then I'll set up an illusion to mask Blackblade's power from Bolas._

 _Excellent,_ Gideon responded, his thoughts sounding rejuvenated at the idea. He snapped his wrist back, causing the whips to retract into his gauntlet. With his hand now free, he firmly grasped Blackblade's hilt and felt the sensation of its hunger flow up through his grip. He pulled it from the scabbard with a flourish and severed the head from a jackal Eternal behind him in a single swing.

He allowed himself a small smile. _Now that's more like it._

With a renewed fervor, Gideon let loose a frightening war cry that rang in the Gatewatch's ears. He began furiously slicing in all directions, the demonic blade reaching out to any Eternal that dared to step into his periphery. What had previously looked like a dire abyss of blue plating now became the eye of a hurricane composed of whirring steel, fetid blood, and dismembered bodies.

As Gideon hacked and slashed across the cobbled stones, freeing a path for a goblin mother and child to escape home, Jace concentrated his mental magic to masking Blackblade's presence. Perspiration was starting to build beneath his hood. The strain on his mind from splitting between Blackblade and the Eternals surrounding his allies was taking its toll. He looked around to see how the other members were doing, but the sight did not fill him with hope.

On all sides of their compacted group, the Dreadhorde closed in relentlessly. Teferi's time magic was slowing their advance, but there was only so much he could do with the zombies coming from all sides. Jaya was taking out Eternals with small jets of fire, dropping them one at a time. Ajani roared as his axe buried itself in necks and shoulders, needing only one or two swings to cleave an Eternal down. Karn used his strength to rebuke the onslaught, grabbing the Eternals by the head and tossing them aside, his robotic fingers crunching through the lazotep shell. His movements seemed reserved, as the former pacifist reluctantly spilled blood that he knew needed to be spilled. And then there was Chandra, who was still having trouble conjuring a fireball concentrated enough to deal with the zombies. Jace could see the frustration plastered on her face, each impotent shot only spiraling her further.

 _They're all fighting,_ he remarked inwardly, _but it's not good enough. Their attacks can only take them out one at a time, and I can't do much in a fight like this. Shit, we need help!_

It was at this moment that Jace thought of something, a resource he had been too distracted to utilize. Though he knew the Eternals would be spreading throughout the city streets by now, they weren't the only new entities occupying Ravnica today.

_There must be hundreds of other planeswalkers here by now thanks to that Beacon. If I can send out a telepathic signal across Ravnica, maybe we can get some backup._

Jace took in a deep breath and tried his best to quiet his thoughts. He pushed out the Eternals surrounding him, tucked away his enchantment on Blackblade into a quiet corner of his mind. With his head cleared, Jace reached down into his chest and pulled at the magical energy stored in his planeswalker spark.

_I can't burn up too much magic in one go or I'll never survive the day. Just one message to every living creature should be enough._

His face began to glow with white and blue light, cerulean swirls falling from his eyes and hands as he harnessed his innate magic. The falling petals of energy floated through the air to Jace's head, where they accumulated into a growing ball of light on his forehead. Once it was the size of an apple, Jace closed his eyes and assembled his telepathic message in his mind:

_If you can hear this message, please listen. My name is Jace Beleren, a planeswalker and the Living Guildpact of Ravnica. You no doubt see the current threat invading the city. For any Ravnican citizens listening, you must take shelter. Find a secure place to hide and wait until you hear from me again, or these things will kill you with no remorse. Stay hidden, and you will survive this day._

_If any planeswalkers hear this, we need your help to stop this. This invasion is caused by the Elder Dragon Nicol Bolas. He wants to destroy this city and extinguish all life on it. We cannot let this happen, but we need your help. Find me, and together we can stop these zombies and that foul dragon before his plans are realized._

With the message fully formed, the glowing sphere on his forehead popped like a soap bubble, sending a circular wave of ether across the city.

"Jace, what was that?" Chandra asked between uneven breaths.

He looked at her, his face grave with concern. "A beacon of my own."

"You can't waste your energy like that," Teferi said through clenched teeth. "We're only barely keeping these things back!"

"I know, and I just gave us a chance to survive. I just sent a message to every consciousness in Ravnica. If no planeswalkers can help us, then Bolas was always going to win."

"Hopefully these reinforcements come soon," remarked Karn as he tossed another broken Eternal over the crowd, "we can't make any headway by removing these things one at a time."

"How is Gideon faring, Jace?" Ajani asked in a short reprieve between axe swings.

"He seems fine now, though it's hard for me to maintain the shroud over Blackblade. Hopefully he can get everyone here to safety."

"Yeah, maybe then he can give us a fucking hand!" yelled Chandra. She hurled a fist-sized fireball at an Eternal's chest and yelled in frustration as it was rebuked once again. Jace could feel the intense heat radiating from her anger. He wanted to offer some comfort to keep her rage in check, but he knew it would only be met with contempt at best and a blast of fire to the face at worst.

Jace's eyes darted to everyone's face, and he saw the blood-splattered grimaces of warriors in a fight for their lives. Feet dug into the ground as magic flew and bodies dropped. They were battling, and all Jace could think was: _Why am I here?_

_I'm not a fighter, not in a fight like this! I'm the idea guy, the guy who plans out twelve steps ahead. And yet here I am, two steps behind the rest of my team and gods-know how many steps behind Bolas. They're going to keep fighting until they drop. They need a plan to get out, and I don't know what I can do._

It was then, in the midst of Jace's mental self-flagellation, that his eyes caught a glint of something high above the madness encircling him on the ground. He looked up, and amidst the sound and fury on the ground, he saw a flying Eternal casting a winged shadow above them. It was an aven, human body with a bird's face, wings, and talons. Jace watched as it hovered over them for a moment, purple-lit eyes glaring down at the Gatewatch. Then, it folded its wings close to its body and began to rapidly descend on them, razor-sharp beak and talons poised for attack.

Jace's eyes widened. "Shit! Everybody, watch out above!"

He had barely screamed out his warning before the aven closed in, falling with the speed and force of a meteor. With danger swiftly incoming, Jace could feel the gears in his mind finally come unstuck, if only enough to get out of the scrape. He summoned a holographic illusion of himself directly overlaying his position, then he dropped to the ground under a blanket of invisibility. All he could do was watch as the aven banked its trajectory slightly, an indicator that its plan was to claw and peck at them in one swift motion without touching the ground. He silently prayed that the aven would fall for his trick.

It did, and the aven's outstretched talons slashed through the illusion's face, immediately destroying the projection. Jace breathed a sigh of relief and deactivated his cloaking. He looked behind him, and he instantly regretted allowing himself to feel any sort of relief.

While he had dodged the aven in a timely manner, his warning had been drowned out by the heavy footsteps of the Eternals surrounding them. The rest of the Gatewatch only reacted to the aven's attack when they saw Jace's image suddenly scatter to the winds, revealing the lightning-fast attacker. Everyone saw it, except for Chandra Nalaar, who was too wound up in her own fiery frustration to notice anything else.

The aven quickly saw the easy prey and bared its talons, ready to slice through the unaware pyromancer. It opened its beak and let out an ear-splitting _SKRAW_. Chandra heard it and whipped her eyes forward just in time to see the beast a few inches from her face. Without thinking, she shot two blasts of fire at the aven that wound around one another in a dazzling helix. The wind from the aven's speed easily dispersed the fire, and for the first time in their fight with the Eternals, Chandra's internal fire burned just a bit lower. The monster closed in and flung its claws forward in a deadly arc, and Chandra could do nothing but watch.

Suddenly, she felt a hand violently shove her back. She fell to the ground, eyes gaping with surprise, and she hit the cobblestones with a hard _thud_. Whatever focus she had was broken, and, along with the rush of air from the aven just above her, the fire atop her head was soundly blown out. She turned her head to see who it was that pushed her, then gasped as Teferi's outstretched arm was cut off before her eyes.

All watched as blood sprung from Teferi's severed arm like a geyser, dousing the cobblestones in a slick red finish. He clutched at the stump and fell to his knees in agony. His staff clattered beside him, cloudy magic no longer streaming from its tip.

Jaya's eyes snapped to the aven as it flew away, Teferi's bleeding appendage dangling from its mouth.

"You son of a bitch!" she roared, and a bolt of flame blasted from her fingers. It struck the aven through the back of the skull, its face subsequently exploding in a miniature inferno. Its wings ceased flapping, and the Eternal fell uselessly to the ground. It landed in a heap, smoke from its missing face and Teferi's smoldering arm wafting into the chaotic Ravnica air.

Jaya wanted to rush and recapture Teferi's arm, let Ajani try and use his healing magics to reattach it. But she couldn't, because as soon as Teferi fell to the ground, all hell broke loose.

Without Teferi's chronomancy, the Dreadhorde circling around them was no longer slowed. Their advance returned to normal speed, and the buffer between them and the Gatewatch started to rapidly diminish.

Ajani knelt down to Teferi, his paw glowing white as he stemmed the profuse bleeding. Karn stood between them and the oncoming Eternals, his silver feet digging into the street as he tried to protect his injured friend. Jaya stooped down and bent over Chandra's prone figure. She continued to whip javelins of fire through Eternal skulls, but her attacks could not outpace their onslaught. All Jace could do was crawl backwards on his stomach until he was next to his allies and watch in abject terror as the Dreadhorde closed in.

_This can't be it! There's gotta be something more we can do!_

Jace felt his pleas shrivel in his mind as the zombies drew closer. They were close enough now that he could truly take them in. He hadn't noticed before, but they stank of rotted meat and exposed metal, like an old set of butcher's tools. He briefly wondered if he really wanted his last thoughts to be about rusty cleavers.

A sandaled foot stomped in front of him, mere millimeters from the tip of his nose. He looked up and saw an Eternal human wearing a flowing golden robe and wielding a dual-pronged scepter that gleamed with magic between its horns. Jace thought about how this person had probably been an exceptionally strong wizard on Amonkhet before Bolas' plans caught up to them. The Eternal raised its staff and leveled it at the Gatewatch, the soft hum of magic drumming in Jace's ears.

He considered closing his eyes, but he decided to face his destructor head-on. _If I'm going to die, I won't die a coward._ So, he locked eyes with the Eternal and waited for its magical blast to hit.

But the Eternal's blast never came. Instead, Jace watched as a streak of green energy penetrated the zombie arcanist's skull. Then, a snake made from verdant energy burst out the other side of the skull as if it were hatching from an egg. It hissed violently before disappearing into the wind, and the once-again dead Eternal dropped to its knees.

"Wh-what was that?" Jace muttered to himself. He barely had time to ponder this question when another bolt of green energy landed in the chest of another Eternal next to him. This time, it morphed into the shimmering form of a tiger, which proceeded to carve a hole in the Eternal's torso until it fell to the ground, motionless.

This shot was followed by another, and another, and another. Thin streams of emerald magic zipped through the air and transformed into all manner of fearsome beast. Bears, wolves, jaguars, and some creature that Jace couldn't readily identify materialized before his very eyes, and each one swiftly dropped another in the Dreadhorde ranks. Jace could hardly believe it, but then a sudden terrified thought bloomed among the newly found optimism.

_What about the others?_

He didn't hear any shots being fired behind him, nor the cacophony of any animal calls. Worried for his fellow Gatewatch members, he spun around, ready to urge them to run through the minor gap that his mysterious savior had paved for him. Instead, he saw the same look of disparate awe on the others' faces that he assumed was plastered on his own.

On the other side of the circle, he watched as Eternals' heads flew from their bodies, severed by a thin flash of orange that made its way around the circle in a matter of seconds. Other Eternals seemed to melt before his eyes from a ceaseless torrent of red flame, while still others were seemingly punctured through the skull by tendrils of water.

In a flash, what seemed like the end had turned around, and the circle that trapped the Gatewatch opened before them. Jace stared in awe, his body transfixed on the sight before him, until he heard a harsh voice cut through the air.

"C'mon, the lot of you, we need to move! We've cleared out a path, but more'll be here soon!"

Jace shook his head, clearing his mind of the stupor brought about by his sudden reversal of fortunes. He stood up and turned around to find the source of the command. Standing at the mouth of the circle of Eternals, Jace saw a dark-skinned woman dressed in a vibrant green dress. She was tall and muscular, and she wielded a longbow that was notched with an arrow made of green magical energy.

"Quit standing around and get a move on!" she yelled at the Gatewatch, gesturing with her bow for them to follow. She began to run from their position, moving in the opposite direction of the Planar Bridge.

Karn picked up Teferi and began to run as fast as his heavy robotic frame would allow. Ajani, Chandra, and Jaya followed suit. Jace took a few running steps forward, then hesitated for a moment.

_We can't leave without Gideon!_

He could still feel that Gideon was close by, as he had managed to maintain the damping illusion on Blackblade throughout this ordeal. He could trace the blade to the opposite side of the plaza, but it was moving. Moving back and forth to cut down Eternals, sure, but also moving away from where the rest of the Gatewatch were. Jace was sure that Gideon's path was one that stopped the most Eternals or aided the most civilians, but they needed him for whatever plan they would come up with to stop Bolas.

_Without Gideon, there is no hope to kill that dragon. The Gatewatch needs all its members!_

His mind made up, Jace turned on his heel, ready to run and grab Gideon from whatever quagmire of death he was no doubt entrenched in. He was met, however, by a hulking minotaur Eternal baring over him, blade already poised to strike.

Jace froze in place, eyes fixed on the glint of the Eternal's khopesh reflecting the muted sunlight. His brain screamed for his legs to move, for his magic to ignite for an evasive maneuver, but these calls went unanswered. The minotaur reared back its arm, and readied to strike, but just before its blade could fall to its victim, its head fell to the floor. The rest of its body soon followed, revealing a white-skinned woman standing behind it. Jace recognized her as a kor, a humanoid race native to Zendikar. She wielded an impressive blade that glowed like solidified magma, and she had an enraged scowl etched into her marble-like features.

"What are you still doing standing around?" she growled as she flicked the blood from her sword. With her free hand, she roughly grabbed Jace by the arm and started to pull him in the direction of his allies.

"Wait!" he called out in protest. "We need to go back for someone! Let go of me, uh…"

"Name's Nahiri, and I assume by your lack of upper body strength that you're the Jace Beleren who sent out that psychic message."

"Uh, yeah, that's me. But we need to go back for my friend, we need him!" Jace tugged at his arm but was unable to free himself from Nahiri's grasp. Instead, her fingers only tightened around his forearm, causing him to wince.

"No can do, hoodie. We all got your message, and we're willing to help, but only if it makes sense. We got you all out, but going back to the source of these things is grade-A idiotic. I already put my ass on the line saving you once, not gonna do it again. If your friend is as necessary as you say, he should be strong enough to survive until we can come up with a plan."

Jace knew that if anyone could survive amongst those things, it was Gideon, but he still felt uneasy abandoning his companion. He wanted to reach out a psychic connection, but he feared Liliana, and subsequently Bolas, intercepting his communications and pinning down their locations. Reluctantly, he turned away from where he felt Gideon's presence and began running in stride with Nahiri.

"So, why are you risking your life to save me?"

Her features softened as she noticed his lack of resistance, but they still carried a quiet intensity. Her voice was the same, softer now, but not by an appreciable margin. "You said in your message that you needed planeswalkers to help you stop this invasion and kill Nicol Bolas. I can't just turn away from that, especially if I'm gonna be stuck on this brick-and-mortar outhouse of a plane."

Jace blinked in surprise. "Do you know Bolas?"

"Not personally, but I've worked with others who've told me just how bad he is. From what I've heard, we need to get to him soon or this whole plane will perish. We'll catch up to the others and find a quiet place to start planning."

Jace nodded, and for the first time that day, the light of hope in his chest was reignited.


	11. Allied Strategies

The walls of the dank alleyway were wet from the morning rain, and as Chandra leaned her head against them to catch her breath, a sizzling cloud of steam rose. She had receded her powers during the long run from the plaza, but her hair was still hot to the touch.

As she leaned against the unfamiliar building, Chandra's eyes scanned the new denizens of the shadowy passage. Teferi seemed to be recovering from his injury with the help of Ajani's magic, and he could now stand on his own, though he needed his staff to prop him up. Karn was beside him, his immovable facial features somehow conveying a deep sense of worry for his friend. Jaya was beside Chandra, panting heavily from the physical exertion. Though she had the supernatural stamina of a planeswalker, it could only do so much against the tide of aging. And lastly, her eyes fell on the statuesque planeswalker that had come to their rescue.

She watched as the woman, whose name she did not know, kept a hard eye to the end of the alley. Chandra had watched her for the length of their run through the Ravnica streets. She had followed close behind the woman and watched as her bow fired arrow after arrow, each one bursting with an Eternal-ending beast. There was something about her power, combined with her cool, take-charge attitude that entranced the young pyromancer.

"Alright," the woman in green stated, "we should be out of sight for the time being. I'd say we bought ourselves a few minutes before we need to keep moving." Her attention turned to Teferi, her hard features softening slightly at the wounded man. "Are you ok to keep moving?"

"Yes," he grunted, standing up straight in a show of his condition, "I can still move fine. Luckily, I can still cast spells with one hand. Thank you for the assistance, miss…" His voice trailed off, and the woman smirked.

"Reid. Vivien Reid."

"Yeah, thanks so much!" Chandra interjected. Heads turned to her, and she worried if her nervous outburst had been misconstrued as sarcastic. It seemed that Vivien was unphased, and she curtly nodded to Chandra.

"No problem. So, which one of you is Jace Beleren?"

Karn was the first to answer. "None of us are Jace."

A cloud of unease fell over the incomplete group, and Viven's brow furrowed. "Shit, did anyone see where he went?"

"Right here!" came an unfamiliar voice from the end of the alley. The Gatewatch instinctively grabbed their weapons and readied their magic for whatever horror was about to befall them. Instead, they saw Jace being led, rather roughly by the looks of it, down the alleyway by a pale-faced woman clad in worked leather.

Vivien's scowl disappeared, and a flash of relief came to her face. "Great job, Nahiri. Where are the others?"

"Right behind us, I think the angry guy wanted to melt a few more before the planning session."

Vivien shook her head. "He's strong, I'll give him that, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say he'd gone mad." Her attention turned to Jace, who was busy straightening his robes after being dragged for the past few blocks. "Jace?"

"Yeah, that's me." His voice seemed irked. Chandra wasn't quite sure why, though she suspected it had to do with Jace's inability to act during their encounter with the Dreadhorde. "Thanks for the save, and I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why risk your life for us?"

"Because you mentioned that you need help defeating Nicol Bolas."

The Gatewatch was slightly taken aback by Vivien's statement, though Chandra saw Jace's face refuse to show any surprise.

 _Leave it to Jace to keep sulking throughout the apocalypse_ , thought Chandra without a hint of irony at her own self-imposed distraction from her failure in that fight.

"Do you know about Bolas?" Jace asked.

Vivien's face grew harsh, and her eyes distant. "Aye, I know about that dragon all too well. My home is the plane of Skalla."

"Never heard of it," Jace scoffed.

"That's because Nicol Bolas destroyed it, along with everyone I ever held dear. All that exists of Skalla now is me and my Arkbow."

The alleyway fell dead silent, and Chandra watched as Jace's face went from pouty to embarrassed, and then settled on condolent. "I'm sorry," he offered, "I had no idea."

"Worry not, this isn't the time to let our personal feelings cloud our behavior. We are all here on the same side, against Bolas."

Jace met her gaze and nodded in agreement. Chandra's face remained stoic, but inside she was relieved that Jace seemed to be breaking out of his funk.

Vivien continued: "I was hunting down a lead to Bolas on Shandalar when I was brought here by some otherworldly force."

"Yeah," said Jace, "the same thing happened to us. We're not entirely sure what did it, but I have no doubt that it's Bolas' doing."

"I had assumed as much. I was only here for a few moments before I met with Nahiri and…"

Vivien's words were cut off by a growing sound from the mouth of the alleyway. Once again, the Gatewatch upped their guard, while Vivien and Nahiri remained without a defensive position. Drawing closer, the sound of rushing footsteps, two pairs, was barely audible over the blare of incoherent yelling and a sound Chandra recognized as fire shooting from a source.

 _What the hell could be making that commotion?_ thought Chandra. _Could the Eternals be that wild? Maybe they have an Eternalized dragon from Amonkhet…_

Just then, they saw a tall figure rush past the alley entrance. The person skidded to a stop just before passing the alley, nearly slipping on their own feet. Once they stopped, the Gatewatch got a good look at them. They could see now that it was a merwoman, with slick blue skin and frills surrounding her head like a halo. She wore a pink corset that looked to be forged from an oversized seashell, and in her hands was a pink bident swirling with aquatic magic.

Chandra, Jace, and Ajani immediately recognized Kiora, and she seemed to recognize them as well. She waved to them, then turned behind her.

"Hey," she called to the street, "they're over here! Hurry up with that and come on, and for gods' sake, Vol, put those things away!"

Chandra blinked. _Wait, did she just say…_

Kiora took a few steps into the alley, and the sound and fury coming from the street seemed to grow louder. It was only when it reached its fever pitch of pandemonium was its source revealed. A long-haired man stepped in front of the alley, screaming furiously as he shot fire from his hands at the enemies before him. Well, shooting from where his hands would be, as his magic had transformed both hands into the heads of dragons constantly belching twin cones of flames. Sarkhan Vol continued to slowly walk backwards, gradually inching his way into the alley.

Chandra watched as an Eternal walked into their field of view, ready to barrel down the alley and slaughter the gathered planeswalkers. It was met, however, with a blast from Sarkhan's dual dragon hands. The Eternal was trying its best to push against the wall of dragon breath, but it was soon reduced to no more than a puddle of melted flesh and lazotep by the planeswalker's feet.

"Aha, taste it!" he yelled, his voice barely audible over the roaring fires. Chandra couldn't help but gape at what his fire could do.

"Alright Vol, that's enough," Kiora said, her voice carrying a tone of irritation at the need to repeat herself. "Turn the dragons off and get over here!"

"I don't take orders from you," he growled before dispelling his magic. "You cannot quell the dragon's spirit just by saying so. It must live free."

"Yeah, yeah, and I bet that's the same reason you don't wear a shirt. C'mon."

The pair approached the group, and Kiora gave a small nod to Vivien and Nahiri. Vivien turned to Jace. "Is it possible for you to cloak our presence, just for the moment? Sarkhan may have cleared any of those things that were nearby, but they'll be past here soon."

"Sure thing," Jace agreed, and he summoned forth a shimmering blue light along his arms. He turned both his wrists, and the light expanded in a hemisphere over their meeting area before fading into transparency. "There, we should be undetectable to the Eternals. It's probably still a good idea to be ready in case they try to run down here. They may not see or hear us, but they'll still feel us."

"Good instincts," Vivien said, and she drew her bow in front of her. No arrow sat in it, but they could sense that Vivien would be ready if needed. "Now that we're all here, we can start to come up with a plan."

"Um, we're not all here," Chandra spoke up. Vivien looked to her inquisitively, and Chandra was suddenly overcome with nervousness. "W-we're missing one of the Gatewatch members. His name is Gideon."

"And where is he right now?" Vivien asked.

Jace stepped in to answer the question. "I can still feel the influence of his sword. He's moving away from us. Looks like he's heading toward Sunhome. We could probably catch up to him if we leave soon."

"We can't afford to do that now," Vivien said coldly. "Individual lives are important, but what's more important is figuring out a plan to bring down Bolas and executing it as soon as we can."

Sarkhan pointed a finger to the horizon, in the direction of the massive citadel. "Why don't we just fly over to that black eyesore and kill the bastard right now? We're ten strong, and we could probably pick up even more people on the way."

Jace had to resist rolling his eyes at the predictably hot-headed dracomancer. "We can't do that because Bolas is an Elder Dragon. He's far too powerful for us to just take down without a more detailed plan of attack. Besides, he'd perceive our presence before we'd even get within spitting distance, and he'd snuff us out with a single breath."

"I see you're still the coward you've always been, Beleren."

"Not a coward, Sarkhan, just someone who's able to think further ahead than 'kill dragon with fire hand.'"

Sarkhan took an aggressive step towards Jace. "Mock my dragons again, mind-mage, and we will see how well your brain functions when it's dripping from your ears."

"Alright boys, let's calm it the fuck down!" Nahiri stepped between the two, cutting off Sarkhan's posturing approach. They could both see the igneous flash in her eyes, but Sarkhan did not seem to mind it.

"Step aside, lithomancer, this does not concern you."

"Yes, it does," Nahiri shot back, "it concerns all of us here. We don't have time for this petty bullshit you two are getting up to. Fighting amongst ourselves is only putting us further from our goal. So, if you have a problem, keep it inside until we're done!"

Sarkhan's eyes met Nahiri's, the fire of his gaze clashing with the steel of hers. There was a moment of tension, but Sarkhan backed down. He leaned his back against the opposite wall. "We should start acting now," he grumbled impatiently, "lest we give Bolas too much time to prepare. If he's responsible for whatever brought us here, then he knows we'll either die at the hands of those… things, or we'll come knocking on his doorstep."

"We can't act against Bolas right away," Jace said coolly, "at least not directly. There's too many other things to take care of before that. If we just go for Bolas, even in the miniscule chance that we succeed, the rest of the city will still fall."

"Then what do you propose?" asked Vivien.

Jace paused, and Chandra saw a familiar expression on Jace's face. It was that glazed-over, vacant look that usually annoyed her to no end, but now it was a comfort to see him in the deep stages of planning.

It was only a few seconds before Jace's eyes began to move once more, and he returned his attention to Vivien. "From what I can tell, there are six things we need to do before we can take on Bolas. First, we need to shut down that Planar Bridge."

"How would we do that?" Kiora inquired, leaning on her bident.

"I'm not sure," Jace confessed, "it doesn't seem to have any controls on Ravnica. My guess is that Tezzeret brought the device to Amonkhet and is operating it from there."

Sarkhan sneered at the mention of his former ally. "Tezzeret. That chrome-plated bootlicker is still working for Bolas. I should have known; he couldn't rebel if the command was uploaded directly into his ass."

Vivien shot him a look, which he ignored. She then addressed Jace again. "So, we need to get to Amonkhet then?"

"Yeah, but it's easier said than done. Organic matter can't travel through the Planar Bridge, and none of us can planeswalk right now because of the Immortal Sun."

Vivien's head cocked in confusion. "The what?"

"An old artifact made by a bastard of a sphinx. It shuts down the ability to planeswalk."

"So that's what this is," Vivien stated angrily as her eyes flashed with pulsating green energy. She took a step forward, and as the jade light in her irises died, the golden symbol of the Azorius appeared on her forehead. Everyone looked in grim recognition at the sign they had all seen by now above their own head, a symbol of their planewide imprisonment.

Jace nodded solemnly. "Yup, that's it. So long as the Sun's up and running, there's no escape for anyone. So that's number two: shutting down the Immortal Sun. That also leads into the third thing, which is stopping whatever keeps pulling planeswalkers to Ravnica. I assume it's some kind of device, but that's all I got at the moment."

Nahiri took a step forward. "Do we know where the Sun might be? If it's an old hunk of rock or metal like you said, I could probably smelt it down pretty easy. Maybe make a few new swords out of the scrap."

"I don't know where it is exactly, but it shouldn't be too difficult to track its magical signature to the source. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if it's made its way back to the Azorius Senate somehow."

"Some of us can go check that out," Vivien offered.

"Sure," said Jace, "but I will definitely be going there. I need to track down an old friend of mine from the Senate and see what she knows. That's the fourth thing, we need to talk to the guild leaders. Right now, the Guildpact that binds this city is defunct and the guilds are either turtling up in their bases or getting needlessly slaughtered. We need to talk to the heads of the guilds and convince them to join together to fight Bolas."

"Will they talk to you, then?" Sarkhan glowered at him.

"They will, trust me. I have a pretty long history with Ravnica, so my word should carry some weight."

Vivien nodded along to Jace's words, seemingly happy with his explanation. "What else do we need to do?"

"The normal citizens, they need to be evacuated. Anyone who's caught on the street is probably dead already." Jace paused, the harsh reality of his words catching in his throat. He had seen the death, first-hand and up close, but speaking about it seemed to legitimize it. "It's only a matter of time before the people who are in their homes are also attacked. We need to help get them out of the way of the Dreadhorde."

"Where could we put them all?" Jaya asked, her usual undercurrent of snark set aside for the moment. "We can't take them to another plane, and the Eternals are going to be all over the city."

"We need to get them out of the city. The outskirts of Ravnica are all flatlands, not a building in sight. That way, they can see the Eternals coming in advance."

"Good, that way they can see their murderers for a good few minutes beforehand," Sarkhan added glibly. Jace glared at him, but he was not paying attention. Sarkhan idly brushed a strand of blue hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear with the rest of his flowing black locks. "Flat land away from the city won't do any good if they aren't defended."

Jace shrunk back slightly, rethinking his plan, when Karn stepped forward. "I can assist with that. If there's enough space out there, I can raise a shelter for them. It may take a little bit, but a silver barrier should do well to keep the citizens safe."

"Are you sure?" Chandra asked him. "We could certainly use your strength in fighting the Eternals that're in the city."

"No, this is what I want to do. Long ago, I took up pacifism. I was never created to harm others, only to protect. I did learn that violence is sometimes necessary, but I would still prefer to not kill any more. If I can save this plane without killing, then I will do whatever it takes."

Ajani put a paw on the golem's shoulder. "You're a better man than most who are born to it. I'll be happy to assist you in the evacuations."

Karn nodded, and Chandra couldn't help but smile at the display. Even though Ajani and Karn were two of the most imposing-looking individuals she knew, seeing their sensitive side in this dire time brought a slight warmth to her heart.

"I'll help too," Kiora joined in, her bident now firmly in both hands. "I'm not the most helpful outside the water, but evacuating people shouldn't be an issue."

Jace signaled his approval of Karn's proposition. "Great, so Karn, Ajani, and Kiora can start on evacuations. While you're around, try and find as many planeswalkers as you can to help. Gods only know how many more 'walkers are trapped here like us."

"Will do," Ajani nodded, gripping his oversized axe. "I still need to see what has become of Tamiyo. She said she would join us when we moved on Bolas, so I think we can count on her."

"Good luck with that," Jace said with a raised eyebrow. "She's never been one to enter a conflict of her own volition."

"Then we'll just have to convince her." Ajani gave a devious grin, showing the glint of his white fangs. Jace knew the leonin was only joking, but he still felt a twinge of unease.

"Right. Ok, so that's one step taken care of. Teferi, are you still good for some major casting?"

Teferi rapped the end of his staff against the cobbled alley street. "I'm still in far better shape than you, Jace. Anything you need, I can handle it."

"Good, because until we can figure out a way to turn off the Bridge, we need a way to slow down the incoming forces. Can you use your magic to turn down the invasion speed enough to buy us some time?"

"Consider it done. I can't just stop them, but a web of chronomancy just outside the portal should suffice. What about once they get through that? I can't stop them forever."

"I'll handle that," came Sarkhan's trademark growl. He stood up, his bare chest stuck out with an out-of-place bravado. "If you line them up, I'll smelt them down. I don't know exactly what those things are covered in, but a good dose of dragonfire will do the trick. Between the two of us, we should be able to stop the spread, for a time anyway."

Teferi nodded his approval to the dracomancer.

"Aright," Jace continued, "that should cover the Bridge for now. In that case, the rest of us are on pretty much the same mission. Since we don't know where the Immortal Sun or the source of the pull are coming from, we should work on talking to the guild leaders. The more of us there are, the better our case looks. So, that'll be me, Chandra, Jaya, Vivien, and Nahiri."

"Hold on one second," Nahiri piped up. "You said there were six things, but you only gave us five. What's the sixth?"

For the first time in this planning phase, Jace's eyes fell to the ground. Silence hung around the group as they waited for Nahiri's question to be answered. But nothing came, no answer from the strategist that they had been rallying behind a moment before. No one knew what the sixth problem would be, except for Chandra.

She took a few steps forward and placed a gentle hand on Jace's back. She could feel his heavy breathing under her palm. She could practically feel the sense of woe overtaking Jace, and she knew exactly why Jace had suddenly gone silent.

"The sixth problem," she answered, "is Liliana Vess."

"Who's that?" Vivien inquired.

"She's a necromancer," Jace said, clearing his voice with a forced cough. "She's the one commanding all the Eternals in the city. If we want to truly save Ravnica, then she needs to die."

 _I can't imagine how hard that was to say,_ Chandra thought to her friend. She didn't know if his mind was open to hear her, but she wanted to offer her sympathy regardless. _You knew better than anyone what Liliana was capable of, but you always held out hope. Until now, I guess…_

Jace's outer voice cut off Chandra's inner thoughts. "Regardless, we can't go for Liliana just yet. She's probably in close proximity to Bolas, most likely under a huge amount of protection near that citadel. We should gather our forces first, then attack."

"I agree," said Vivien, "but I want to make one thing very clear to you." Her eyes were suddenly burning with a newfound ferocity.

"What?"

"Bolas took everything from me, and I plan to do the same to him. I will not let Skalla's fate befall Ravnica. We will all work together for that goal, but know this: no matter what happens, it will be my arrow that kills the Elder Dragon."

Beneath his hood, Jace cracked a smile. "Well, how can I say no to that?"

She nodded curtly, then turned to the group. "Alright, let's head out. Ravnica shall not fall today!"

Ajani roared in approval, his claws lifted emphatically to the heavens. Sarkhan joined him, letting loose a draconic bellow. Teferi soon added his own yell to the mix. Jaya and Karn followed close behind, then Nahiri and Kiora, and finally Chandra. Jace and Vivien did not join in the cheer, but they still raised a fist to the air to show their strong, albeit silent, support. Once the noise died down, the new coalition of planeswalkers walked to the end of the alley before splitting into the three groups.

As Chandra ran alongside her allies, she could not take her eyes off Vivien Reid. Something about her had been nagging at Chandra's brain throughout the meeting, something that had captivated her attention. It wasn't just her strength, or her magic, or even her attractive features that held Chandra's attention. It wasn't until she heard Vivien's declaration that she would be the one to kill Bolas that it finally clicked.

_She's just like Gideon._


	12. Way of the Thief

Over the rooftops of Ravnica, far from the Transguild Promenade, the world seemed almost undisturbed. All was quiet above the street, save for the distant cawing of crows that perched across the vista. If it had been any other day, it would have been a picturesque scene. But it wasn't any other day, and even this peace could not last long. It was shattered, unceremoniously, by a flash of prismatic light carrying Dack Fayden, the Greatest Thief in the Multiverse.

There was a moment, a split second, where Dack was still on the plane of Innistrad, in the deserted banquet hall of the Voldaren manor, just about to make off with the vampire family's ancestral blade. His hand was still outstretched, fingers poised to curl around the magnificent jeweled hilt. But then the moment evaporated, and Dack found himself plummeting to the Ravnica street below.

"Shit!" he yelled in surprise as his brain finally caught up to his body. He looked down and saw the ground beneath rapidly approaching. Thinking quickly, Dack reached out to the building he was falling next to. He searched his mind for the right incantation, and his gloved fingertips began to glow with a silken white light. They caught onto the building's side, sticking quickly and stopping his fall.

 _Thank the gods for that Amulet of Tarantual_ , he thought as he began to scale the building's side. _I'll have to thank those eight-legged freaks if I ever get to go back to Thyrolis. An execution order can't last forever, right?_

Dack hoisted himself over the building's guardrail and deftly landed on the deserted rooftop. He deactivated his spell, straightened out his leather waistcoat, and looked to see just where he was now.

"Ravnica," he grumbled under his breath, "why the fuck did it have to be Ravnica?"

He nervously paced on the roof of the unidentified building, running a gloved hand through his long brown hair. Dack was never a fan of the plane, with an entire section of the population dedicated to forming a military-police, and another one creating a weaving web of surveillance and bureaucracy. For someone who's life revolved around stealing magical items, it wasn't exactly the most hospitable plane.

That wasn't to say that Ravnica was squeaky-clean, and Dack was well-acquainted with the seedy underbelly. Unfortunately, that was another place where Dack was not entirely welcome at the moment. On his last trip to Ravnica, he had borrowed a hefty sum from a man named J'dashe, a dangerous elf with an unhealthy obsession for magical baubles. Dack had borrowed the Cloudstone Curio from him, only needing it for a little while. This was a few days before J'dashe died, and Dack had neglected to return the piece. On any other plane of existence, this would be a lucky break, but on Ravnica, where the Orzhov guild kept a spirit's debts alive, payment was always due.

The blade of the Voldaren was meant to pay off the rest of his debt, but now he was transported to Ravnica against his will with nothing to sell.

"How did this even happen?" he couldn't help but mutter to himself. It was a terrible habit for a thief to have, but at this point in his life, talking to himself was the only time he heard another voice addressing him besides the nagging one in his head. "One minute I'm on Innistrad, and now I'm here. Un-fuckin'-believable. I know I didn't planeswalk, so it must be something here. Maybe those damned zealots finally found a way to summon their debtors. Wouldn't that just be perf…"

His voice trailed off, and his mouth hung open in stunned silence. Though his eyes had been scanning the city since his forced arrival, he hadn't really been paying attention to the usual tiled rooftops and far-off guild spires. He had seen it plenty of times before, since his preferred route was either bounding between buildings or ducking in and out of alleyways. He never paid too much attention to specifics in his hasty leaps across the rooftops, and he had been content to think of the Ravnica skyline as nothing more than reddish-brown streaks in his free-wheeling periphery. But now, his attention was pulled to three anomalies on the horizon: a jet-black pyramid, a limestone statue of a leering dragon, and a glowing portal to another dimension.

"Huh, those are new."

Dack did not know what any of those things were doing there, but he knew for certain that they were not put there by Ravnican hands. They carried no guild symbols, and their positions put them squarely around the neutral Tenth District and Transguild Promenade. And though he had no clue what these new constructions meant for the city, it was clear from the ominous aura they exuded that it was nothing good.

He felt a sudden rush of energy course through him as he watched the looming structures. It was something deep within him, grasping hold of his planeswalker spark. Grabbing his soul and pushing forward his truest thoughts. A city that had provided him with so much was in peril, and he knew exactly what to do. He pointed a finger towards the leering monuments and, with a swashbuckling bravado, declared:

"Fuck that shit," before quickly turning on his heel and leaping to the next rooftop in the opposite direction of the Tenth District.

As he bounded from one rooftop to the next, he couldn't help but reflect on the emotional surge he felt at the sight of the new erections. It was something he had felt before, a key instinct in his title as the Greatest Thief in the Multiverse: knowing when a fight is yours to take.

_I don't know what's going on over there, but I know for damn sure that it has nothing to do with me. I'm just gonna planeswalk away, I'm sure whoever's here can handle this without me._

Dack concentrated on his spark and readied himself for the jump back to Innistrad. He was midair when he let his planeswalker energy flow. He closed his eyes, and he let the magic overtake him as he had done so many times before. Silently, he was grateful to get away from Ravnica before whatever threat it faced came for him.

 _There's nothing I could've done,_ he thought, trying to convince himself that his retreat was the best move. _It's not my fight, and even if it was, that shit is way above my pay grade. I hate those damned Boros, but even they probably can't stop a mile-tall portal from tearing this city apart. If there's one thing I know, it's when to get the hell out of dodge._

Even with this conviction, something about his words left a hollow feeling in Dack's stomach. He shook his head. _Doesn't matter, I'm not going back._

He felt his feet hit solid ground once again, and he opened his eyes. He expected to see the rustic architecture of Innistrad bathed in silver moonlight, but all that stood before him were the shingled roofs and far-off spires of Ravnica.

"What the fuck!? Why am I still here?" Dack's mind reeled, and he was swiftly greeted by the gold projection of the Azorius symbol from his forehead. He squinted at it with pure disdain.

"Of course, it's those fucking Azorius. I don't know how they've shut off my planeswalking, but if anyone was gonna stop a planeswalker from having fun, it'd be those pencil-pushing dickheads."

Dack began to pace across the limited flat space on the rooftop. He idly kicked at a loose tile, nearly prying it from the roof in annoyance. He wracked his mind for the next course of action, now that he knew he couldn't just run away to another plane.

_Should I head to the Azorius and see if I can turn off whatever's causing this? Maybe the Izzet could help with some kinda gadget. I could always head to Tin Street, as long they either don't recognize my face or left their pitchforks at home._

None of these options appealed to him, but neither did the thought of just sitting around twiddling his thumbs. With a huff, he aimed a swift kick to the loose tile he had been pushing. It broke free from its nails and fell into the adjacent alley, a soft clattering sound following its descent. Dack stared at the shadowed gap between buildings for a moment, listening to the deafening silence that followed the tile's fall. It was then that something odd finally clicked.

_There's no one around here. Well, no one outside at least. Maybe they're hiding from whatever that portal is doing._

Then, just as he resigned himself to solitude, a sound flew into his eardrums. A sound that all but confirmed there were still some people out and about on the streets of Ravnica. A woman's scream rang through the air for half a second, only to be prematurely ended.

A sudden panic seized Dack's chest. He leaned his ear in the direction of the cry, hoping to hear the voice reappear for some reason, any reason. He did not hear it, but his focus revealed a different sound: the rushed clamoring of feet on cobblestones.

 _I'm not going over there_ , Dack thought, _this has nothing to do with me._ _My first priority should be getting off this plane._

He looked to the direction of the unknown threat, the sounds of charging through the city streets resonating in his ears. And still, the voices he had heard were silent.

_Dammit…_

With a scowl across his face, Dack took off towards the far-off sound, leaping from building to building with a purposeful haste. When his home plane of Fiora was beset by an extraplanar threat, he had not been there to save anyone. He had not heard Mariel's final cry before her voice faded to oblivion…

_Dammit, dammit, dammit!_


	13. Dead Weight

_Shit, am I really out of breath already?_

Kaya kept this thought to herself, but even she could barely hear it over the sound of her own laborious breathing. After stepping out of the Azorius tower, her, Ral, Lavinia, and Teyo had made off at a dead sprint in the direction of the Embassy of the Guildpact. They needed to see just what the giant purple hole in the sky was doing and see if the Living Guildpact had finally made an appearance. Lavinia led the way through the winding Azorius streets, which she knew like the back of her hand. Ral was close behind her, his hefty Accumulator clanging with each step he took. Teyo followed him, though his eyes were anywhere but ahead of him as he basked in the urban splendor of Ravnica architecture. And behind them all was Kaya, doing her damnedest to keep pace with the rest of them.

They had only been running for a few minutes, but already Kaya's chest was burning for air. It had been happening for the past few weeks, a strong, sudden fatigue at even the slightest amount of strenuous activity. Staying fit was a necessity in her line of work, but now she couldn't help but feel out of shape. Running, leaping, scaling, stabbing, all the activities that made a great assassin now felt woefully out of reach. The worst part of it all, however, was that Kaya knew exactly why she felt this way. It wasn't her newly gilded Orzhov breastplate, or the insufficient sleep from the stress of Ral's plans, or even the uneasiness in her stomach as she got closer to the unknown dangers in the Promenade.

_That fucking Obzedat, and that damned dragon…_

She thought it would be a routine job. Come to Ravnica, kill a bunch of ghosts, collect her payment, and move on. In and out. She always tried to learn as little as possible about her targets. The less she knew, the easier it was to kill. Unfortunately, that left her woefully unprepared for the Obzedat. Killing them was the easy part. A collection of greedy, megalomaniacal specters that had never been opposed in life or death stood no chance against Kaya's lifelong hunting instinct. It was only after the incorporeal bastards had passed on that she found out about Bolas' trap.

Orzhov acts as both a church and a bank, collecting and monitoring the debts of a person's mind and wallet. When people can't pay in this life, the debt is carried over to the next. These unfortunate spirits become indentured servants, following the command of the Obzedat and carrying out the will of Orzhova. And when Kaya killed them, the mantle of Obzedat, along with all the debt that title entailed, fell upon her shoulders.

The weight of it all was massive. Thousands upon thousands of spirits now latched intangibly to her soul, dogpiling onto her subconscious with the combined weight of the gold they owe.

_I should have just forgiven the damn debts. Fuck Teysa and fuck this guild!_

Even now, as she struggled to keep up with her allies ducking and weaving through the meandering Ravnica alleyways, Kaya knew she couldn't do that. She'd already tried forgiving some debts after seeing the condition of the living debtors. The Orzhov acted like thugs, shaking down poor families for their diminishing wealth under the guise of religious enlightenment. It made her sick. But when she let a score of spirits free from the church's clutches, two things happened.

First was the disownment by Teysa Karlov, great-great-whatever-granddaughter of the Obzedat and de facto controller of the guild. Teysa couldn't strip Kaya of her title as guild leader, but she turned the guild against her. Kaya was all but excommunicated, ruling over the guild in name only. Being a deposed figurehead wasn't the best thing that had happened to Kaya, but she didn't really care. She never wanted to be a guild leader, to stay shackled in one place to sit behind a desk and grow fat and lazy. If the Orzhov had wanted her to step down, she was more than happy to oblige.

The second consequence of her maligned contract took a far heavier toll on her outlook, as well as her body. When she released the debtors from her contracts, her body had grown weaker. She hadn't noticed at first, but soon her everyday routine had her sweating. Teysa later informed her that the Obzedat's power directly connects to the debts held by the church. While Kaya has the authority to forgive them, doing so will only weaken her further. She had asked Teysa what would happen if she forgave all the debts, and her response echoed in her ears now.

"Hmm, then you'll simply die. Your body is now held up by the church of Orzhov, and without the souls of those in our debt, that body cannot be sustained."

Teysa had said all this with a smug grin on her face as she lounged in the seat of the former Obzedat leader. Back then, Kaya had wanted nothing more than to punch Teysa square in the jaw. Now, she wanted much more than just one punch.

So Kaya was stuck in a powerless leadership position with no way out.

_Well, there was one way out…_

Upon the news of her entrapment within the Orzhov syndicate, she had called up the one who had contracted her. Bolas, obviously, knew of the bond that she inherited, smirking with maniacal glee that his plan had succeeded. Kaya confronted him, demanded her freedom, and to her surprise, Bolas was more than willing to allow it. He said she could be free of the Obzedat title and continue to live her live as she saw fit. The only catch, which the dragon delivered with a condescendingly charitable tone, was that Kaya must swear fealty to the dragon and aid in his plans for Ravnica.

Kaya couldn't deny him fast enough. She didn't know much about Bolas or whatever plans he had for this plane, but she wasn't about to give up one prison for another. Between trying to outsmart a group of avaricious zealots or an Elder Dragon that had tricked her once already, she decided her chances lay better in the hands of the Orzhov. To her surprise, Bolas did not insist, merely disappearing into the night with an ominous warning: _YOUR CHOICE IN THIS MATTER WAS OF LITTLE CONCERN TO MY PLANS ANYWAY._

She didn't know what he meant, but that was the last she saw of Bolas before last night. After her meeting with the dragon, she was contacted by Ral Zarek, informed of his plan, and readily joined his task force to stop the dragon. At the time, she wasn't sure if she'd joined Ral, Lavinia, and Hekara truly to stop Bolas or just to find a way out of her contract. Even now, there was some lingering doubt, but the events of the past weeks had hardened her resolve against the devious dragon.

"Umm, Miss Kaya, are you OK?"

Teyo's concerned voice suddenly snapped Kaya back into the real world. She had been caught up in her own thoughts for so long, she hardly noticed that her body was moving at a snail's pace. Her breathing was even more haggard than before, loud and raspy like the squeaking of a rusted graveyard gate. Her muscles were burning, begging her to stop moving. All the exhaustion hit her at once, and with no other choice, she stopped trying to run and stooped over to catch her breath.

As she panted with her hands on her knees, Kaya craned her neck to look around. Though she didn't recognize the exact place, the architecture told her that they were almost out of Azorius territory and closing in on the neutral ground. The air felt different here than back at the tower, carrying a faint smell of magic from the portal they were moving towards. As Kaya scanned the area, she noticed something else that took her by surprise: Ral and Lavinia were nowhere in sight.

"Um, Teyo," she said, pausing between breaths, "where are the others?" Her voice carried a faint tinge of worry, but she did not want to show any weakness in front of this boy. It didn't seem to matter, as Teyo answered seemingly oblivious to her concern.

"Oh, they decided to scout up ahead. Miss Lavinia thought she heard marching up ahead, and they wanted to check it out. They saw you were falling behind, so I offered to stay back with you. Well, they actually told me to stay back, but I would've offered anyway. We can join them once you're ready."

Hearing this, Kaya immediately straightened her posture. "Well, I'm ready, so let's go." Though she still felt exhausted, she managed to control her breathing and adopt her typically stern countenance.

"Are you sure?" Teyo pushed again, his concern for her wellbeing obvious in his tone. "We can wait here longer if you need. Miss Lavinia said they wouldn't make a move until we get there, so…"

"Just because we won't make a move doesn't mean whoever's behind this will oblige. I'm fine, we need to get to them."

Kaya neatly stepped around Teyo and began to run in the direction he had indicated.

A look of surprise crossed Teyo's face. "O-ok, wait for me!" he called after her as he started to run as well.

Every muscle in Kaya's body burned with each step, and her breathing was now sharp and painful beneath the spiritual weight she carried. Even though it was excruciating, Kaya had no intention of stopping.

_The sooner we reach that portal, the sooner we can figure out Bolas' plan. We can find some more planewalkers, hopefully ones who actually know what they're doing. Then we can beat his ass, and I can get the hell out of here and back to my life._

Kaya pushed herself forward, but even though her muscles screamed at her to slow down, she kept up her brisk pace. By sheer force of will, she kept putting one foot in front of the other, her mind completely focused on the task ahead. So focused, in fact, that she walked completely past the side alley where her compatriots were waiting. Luckily, Teyo managed to grab her attention before she got too far.

"Um, Miss Kaya, there over here." Teyo's voice trembled slightly as he panted for air. Clearly, he wasn't used to all this running around from his monastic teachings. Luckily, it was enough to recapture Kaya's attention. She quickly turned heel and followed as he ducked into the unassuming alleyway.

The passage was narrow and shadowed from the morning sun, but Kaya easily made out the silhouettes of Lavinia and Ral at the mouth of the alley. Their backs were turned to her and Teyo as they looked out at the other side, but they both turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Lavinia had her dagger drawn, ready to strike if an enemy appeared, but she relaxed her stance when she saw who it was.

"Good, you're both here. Are you ok, Kaya?"

"I'm fine," Kaya replied with a bit more offense in her voice than she intended. If Lavinia noticed, she didn't show it as she continued.

"Ral and I have been monitoring a situation out there. There seems to be a new threat on Ravnica, something neither of us has seen before. I assume it has something to do with the portal we saw open, but that's about all we've gleaned so far."

Kaya cocked her head. "A new threat? What do you mean?"

"Come see for yourself," Ral beckoned, waving Kaya over to his spot at the alley's end. She stepped around Lavinia and peered over Ral's shoulder. The alleyway opened to a small public park, complete with trees, benches, walkways, and a fountain at its center. On a normal day, Kaya assumed it would be a nice place to relax, to eat lunch and watch fellow citizens enjoying themselves. Today, however, the pristine vision in her head was the furthest thing from reality. The benches had all been flipped over, the fountain lay cracked and inoperable, and the walkways were populated not by smiling Ravnicans, but blue-shelled humanoids with glowing purple eyes. They were armed with axes and blades, and to Kaya's horror, these weapons were stained.

"What the hell are those things?" Kaya asked aloud. She began to reach for the daggers on her belt, ready to attack, but Ral held up a hand to signal her to wait.

"We're not sure," he replied, "but it looks like they're Bolas' new minions. They appear to be some kind of undead. Bodies look almost skeletal, movement is really stiff, and they smell like shit."

"Wow," interjected Teyo, who had joined them in looking into the park, "you know a lot about undead stuff. I've never seen real necromancy before."

"Well, I learned from an expert…" Ral's voice trailed off, and Kaya saw his eyes droop slightly. She knew which expert he was referring to, the same one who he'd tried to kill only a week ago.

Kaya quickly tried to refocus Ral's despondent attitude. "Undead's good, that means I should be able to deal with them easily. Only thing I'm worried about is that blue stuff they're all covered in."

"Yeah," Ral responded, once again with eyes forward and voice serious, "I've never seen a chemical compound like that. I'd assume it has some magical quality to it. It might act as armor for them. If he knew planewalkers were gonna show up, it'd make sense for his foot soldiers to have some protection against magic."

"Makes enough sense," Kaya mused. "So, what have they been doing?"

Ral shrugged. "We've only been watching a minute or two. The benches and the fountain were already destroyed, but it looks like those things are patrolling the park. There're no bodies around, so I assume everyone ran away when they could. These things are probably being told to look for citizens wherever they can."

Lavinia's stern voice cut in. "We shouldn't dawdle. If there's no one in the park, they'll get bored soon enough. We should circle back around before they come snooping down here."

Ral nodded in agreement. "True, we can head up for another block or two and cut around there I think."

He stood up and turned to the group, gesturing that they should follow him out of the alley. He held a finger to his lips and proceeded to tread as lightly as possible, one hand on his back to keep his Accumulator from shifting around. Teyo and Lavinia followed suit, making no noise as they proceeded. Kaya was slower to join them, taking whatever opportunity she could get to rest. With a slight grunt, she straightened up and turned to join the others in their silent retreat.

And then, in an instant, the silence was shattered. Not from Ral or Teyo or Lavinia or Kaya. The sound came from the park, and though none of the group made it, the terrified shriek of a child in danger was all too familiar.

The group turned back, their eyes tracing all around the park to identify the source of the cry. It took only a moment for all their gazes to fall on a tree at the far edge of the park's perimeter. Sitting on a high branch, several feet above the ground, was a pair of children. They were huddled together, and their terrified eyes were cast at the tree's base. There, a single blue-shelled creature with a human body and a dog head was beginning to climb up the tree's side, a curved blade in its grip.

"What should we do?" Teyo asked, his voice trembling slightly at the thought of jumping into action.

Lavinia responded evenly: "First off, we shouldn't engage with these things until we know just what they're capable of. Ok, we should start by setting out around the perimeter in teams of two. Ral, you take Teyo and circle around to the left, while Kaya and I wi-"

As she described her plan, Lavinia turned to address her expected partner in the extraction. But, as she faced forward, the words caught in her throat. The spot where Kaya had been a moment before was now empty. Her eyes bolted back to the park, and she saw her ally barreling towards the tree with her daggers drawn.

"Oh, for fuck's sake…" muttered Ral as he flicked on his Accumulator.

Lavinia let out an exacerbated sigh. "Alright, I guess we need a new plan."

As the three remaining members quickly conversed, Kaya sailed across the park grounds. Her armor clinked as each step propelled her forward. She had hoped that she would be fast enough to approach the tree before the other creatures noticed her, but that was sadly not the case. Despite pushing through the exhaustion, Kaya couldn't help but run slower than she wanted. She had only made it a few steps into the park before all the purple-lit eyes were upon her.

The blue-coated undead stopped patrolling the park grounds or overturning whatever hiding places remained, and they all started to advance on Kaya. She was surprised by their speed. Though not as fast as normal beings, they didn't shamble like mere zombies. Their movements were coordinated and steady, like toy soldiers that had been wound up. In the few seconds it took for Kaya to get halfway across the park, the creatures were already on the move.

 _Shit,_ she thought as she deftly stepped around a discarded park bench, _these things are a lot quicker than I thought. It must be an active spell pulling their strings if it can get them to move like that._ She had kept her eyes locked on the tree for the duration of her sprint, but she now afforded herself an opportunity to scan the periphery. To her great dismay, the zombies were marching to intercept her at a steady pace, their weapons drawn.

_I can't worry about them, I just need to save those kids._

She refocused her attention on the tree before her, but as her mind returned to the situation at hand, she saw that her path was now littered by the blue creatures. They stood in truly rank file, advancing on her while obscuring her view.

 _Oh, these bastards want to play too, huh?_ She postured in her mind, sizing up the myriad enemies. All were roughly human-sized, and all were bearing either natural weapons or exotic swords and axes. _Taking these things down shouldn't be too bad, but maybe it's quicker to dodge around? My daggers might have a delay because of this blue shit. Or I could…_

At that moment, another piercing cry erupted from the treetop, interrupting Kaya's train of thought. She looked up toward the target and saw that the dog-headed zombie had ascended far enough up the tree that it could reach up to the children hiding in the boughs. It seemed to have lost its blade, most likely kicked away in fear by one of the kids. Its hand, however, now curled around one of the children's legs instead.

_Shit! Looks like I don't have time to waste._

Kaya had intended to slow her pace for easier maneuverability around the blockade of zombies, but now she grit her teeth and pushed forward harder than before. She broke out into a bull rush directly at the tree, arms trailing behind her for increased aerodynamics. The blue beings took notice, advancing on her with an unrelenting pace. It was only a moment before Kaya's headlong charge brought her right up to a blue minotaur, horns lowered as it sprinted towards her.

As Kaya stared down the necromancy-filled eye sockets of the oncoming beast, she deftly leapt forward at the beast. As she flew, her body was suddenly engulfed in luminous purple. Kaya felt the familiar weightlessness, and as the minotaur reared its head to intercept her stomach with its horns, she passed effortlessly through it.

Her ghostly intangibility let her flow through the beast like water through a funnel. Both Kaya and the minotaur continued their trajectories, allowing her to appear behind it without sacrificing speed or time. Once she was through it, she turned off the power. The purple light receded, and she firmly hit the ground with the soles of her feet. Undeterred, she continued running at full speed, ready for the next creature that stepped in her path.

 _One down, don't know how many to go_.

The next zombie came into her field of vision, and the same scenario repeated itself. She got within spitting distance, jumped forward at it, and passed through it while maintaining her sprint. The first few were shaky, but she eventually got into the rhythm of quickly activating and deactivating her powers, slipping through the fetid husks without them so much as breathing on her.

Kaya didn't even process the creatures that she ran through. Everything eventually became a blur of glinting blue and shimmering purple, streaking past like the lights on a speeding carriage. And before she even knew what had happened, her destination cropped up in her vision. The tree loomed over her, but she hardly noticed it as she continued to barrel forward. Now, the only thing in her sights, and her mind, was the zombie that had one set of claws dug into the tree's bark and the other hand wrapped around a little girl's leg.

Kaya's body moved without her even knowing it, near-primal instincts kicking in as she lunged at the jackal. Daggers drawn, they suddenly came to life with the same purple magics engulfing Kaya's body moments before. Once she felt the full strength of her powers flowing into her weapons, Kaya plunged both daggers into the zombie's back.

In an instant, the jackal's movements ceased. The necromantic light on its necklace and in its eye sockets dissipated, snuffed out as Kaya's own spell severed the connection between the zombie and its host. Once she felt its decayed muscles go slack, Kaya pulled her daggers from the creature's back. Its grip around the young girl's leg loosened, and it fell limply to the ground at the base of the tree.

Kaya looked at her daggers, which were now coated with a thin sheen of rotted viscera. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Kaya turned on her intangibility, focusing it on just her hands and her conductive blades. The blood dropped through the daggers and fell to the ground, splattering onto the jackal's limp body. She deactivated her power, saw that her daggers were clean, then quickly stowed them away in their holsters. With her hands now free, she looked up to the tree and extended a hand up to its canopy.

She finally got a look at the children she had come to rescue. It was a boy and a girl, huddled together on a low-lying branch. The girl looked to be about 9, while the boy couldn't have been older than 6. Their eyes were filled with tears, and even though their attacker had been subdued, they still clung tight to one another.

"C'mon, you need to come with me." Kaya's tone was flat and commanding, and the children recoiled as she spoke. They closed their eyes and hugged each other closed, still too scared to move. Seeing this, Kaya rethought her plan.

"Hey," she addressed the girl in a softer tone, "what's your name?"

The girl turned back to Kaya and wiped the tears from her eyes. She sniffled loudly, then spoke in a wavering whisper. "M-m-malisa," she eventually said.

"Well, hello Malisa, my name is Kaya. Is that your little brother with you?"

The girl nodded, and her lower lip began to tremble. "Yeah, his name is Lanse. W-we were playing in the park w-with our mom. We wanted to c-climb this tree and see what kind of a-a-animals were up here. Then, those th-things came out of nowhere, and we got scared, so we stayed up here."

"Ok then, well, I am going to help you and your brother get back home to your mother. Do you know the way home?"

"Uh huh. My mom made me practice."

Kaya tried her best to give Malisa a reassuring smile. "That's great. Here, take my hand, and I'll make sure you get home, ok?"

"O-ok…" Malisa gently nudged Lanse, gesturing to Kaya's outstretched hand. Silently, the young boy let go of his sister's shirt and reached to Kaya. She took his hand in hers, then used her off-hand to support the boy on his way down. She gingerly set him down next to the dog-headed corpse, and she could feel his body tense up at the sight of it. She didn't have more time to waste on comforting the boy, and she made quick work of getting Malisa out of the tree as well. Once on the ground, Lanse grabbed his sister's hand and held close to her side.

With both children safe, Kaya dismounted from her spot on the tree's twisting roots. She turned, ready to plan out the next step in her rescue mission, but as her feet hit the ground, they fell out from beneath her. Catching herself slightly, she fell onto one knee, using the other leg to prop her body up. Suddenly, her breaths were fast and wheezing, her muscles burned with a white-hot intensity, and her limbs felt as though they were made of concrete. Her mind started to swim as a gut-wrenching exhaustion washed over her entire body.

_Shit, not now! I knew I was pushing myself too hard, but I needed the adrenaline to keep me moving for just a few more minutes._

Her thoughts were cut off by a light tugging on the fringe of her jacket. "Miss Kaya, are you ok?" Malisa asked, her voice carrying a fearful urgency. Kaya was using most of her strength to keep herself propped up, so it was with great pain that she turned her head to meet the girl's eyes as she offered whatever reassurance she could.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. More importantly, we need to get… you…"

Her voice trailed off, but it was not because of her belabored breathing. Her gaze had drifted from Malisa, past the tree to see what possible escape routes there were. Though her vision was blurring from her tired state, she could still make out a veritable wall of zombies circling around her. They were drawing closer to her and the children with each passing second, a seemingly unbroken barrier of death. A rush of fear shot down her spine at the sight of the figures towering over her hunched frame, blades glinting in the sunlight.

_Ok, shit, we need to move. If I can carry these two, I should be able to…_

As Kaya thought about her plan, she attempted to rise to her feet. Unfortunately, she was at the whim of gravity, her body firmly planted on the ground and refusing any effort to move. No matter how much she strained and struggled, her limbs wouldn't budge. The only thing she could do was listen to the ever-growing sounds of mindless, shuffling footsteps.

Kaya turned her head from the children and back to her original path. Blocking her fuzzy vision was the visage of a blue naga wielding two curved blades. It drew in close, and Kaya thought she could hear a distinct sound of hissing coming from between the monster's teeth. Even in the face of this creature, she still couldn't get her body to move. Her eyes dropped to the ground, head heavy from the day's actions.

"Alright kids," Kaya said, voice shaking under the strain, "you need to get behind me. Grab onto my jacket if you need but stay behind me. Malisa, can you do something for me?"

"M-maybe…" Though Kaya couldn't see her face, she knew that Malisa was fighting back tears at the sights around her. She scuttled into position behind Kaya, dragging her terrified brother with her.

"Ok, what I need you to do is look out for any openings between these things. Any small little gap you think you can run through. As soon as you find it, you and Lanse need to run as fast as you can through that gap. Don't think about anything else, just run. Run until you get home, and then stay inside!"

"B-but what about you, miss?"

She didn't know if it was a reflex, but a small grin broke out across Kaya's weary face. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll stay back here and make sure none of these big bullies get to either of you."

"O-ok…" Though Malisa's volume hadn't changed, Kaya was finding it increasingly difficult to hear her. Between her exhaustion and the loud shifting of feet and scales through grass, her world was becoming much too noisy. She did, however, hear the next thing Malisa said:

"We'll see you after this. We're gonna bring our mom to meet the nice lady who saved us."

It was as if Kaya's subconscious pushed these words through to her brain, knowing that they would resonate with something deep inside her. She couldn't quite tell why, but she could almost feel a tear forming at the corner of her eye. Kaya was quick to blink it away and steel her resolve as she heard the snake-woman coming in close.

"Yeah," Kaya whispered, "I'll see you after this."

In that moment, she didn't know if that message was for the children or herself. She didn't think it mattered, really, as she heard the sheer sound of twin blades being drawn a foot or so from her. Even through the cacophony of footsteps, that unmistakable sound rang true. She couldn't lift her head, couldn't reach out for her daggers, couldn't even raise her arms to protect Malisa and Lanse. All she could do was wait.

The sound of air being cut. The screams of two children. The frantic beating of her own heart.

But then, a new sound, one she never heard before. She didn't know how to describe it. Like a dropped weapon bouncing off a cobblestone street. A dead king's crown falling onto his marble floors. Kaya's garbled thoughts tried to identify the noise from her memories, but nothing seemed to match. It repeated several times, that unnamable sound only a few feet away, but Kaya's mind still couldn't quite grasp it.

Then, another sound cut through to Kaya's brain. A voice, yelling over the muffled sounds around her, sounding clearer than anything else in the immediate vicinity. It was a voice that, though she had only heard it for the first time that day, she would recognize anywhere.

"Miss Kaya, are you OK?" asked Teyo. His voice sounded strained, like he was exerting himself, but she could still easily make out the words over the still muffled sounds of zombie shuffling and saber rattling.

"Huh?" Kaya muttered in response to Teyo's call. She tightened her eyelids, trying her hardest to regain some of her strength. After a few moments, she felt a small bit of energy return, enough for her to finally lift her head and see just what had happened to the chaos around her.

Her eyes widened with surprise as she took in the sight before her. A barrier of glittering white energy surrounded her, encompassing the small space that she and the children occupied like a delicate eggshell. Its surface was covered in gleaming geometric patterns, circles and triangles etched into its ethereal surface. It was translucent, and through the surface she could see the naga from earlier. It was wildly swinging its twin blade against the shield, but each blow was rebuked by its magical exterior. The blades bounced away, leaving no mark and reverberating with the sound that Kaya could not identify before. Standing in the center of the small dome was Teyo, chanting mathematical incantations under his breath and holding his hands out to the magical barrier.

"Miss Kaya," he repeated, disrupting his mantras once more, "do you need any help getting up?"

"No, I'm good," she responded. With her newfound strength, Kaya managed to get back onto her feet. Her muscles resisted as she stretched out from her leaning stance, a dull ache now covering most of her body. It wasn't enough to keep her down now, and she tried her best to shake it off. "Thanks for the save," she offered, fighting hard to keep from sounding winded. "This is a pretty impressive power you got."

An embarrassed smile broke out on Teyo's face. "Um, thank you. It's really not much, a simple three-point tessellation barrier mapped over a hyperbolic space. It's one of the first three-dimensional constructs that my shieldmage order learns. We use it to protect our camels from diamond storms, but it repels zombie swords just as well."

Kaya heard the strain in his words. "How long can you keep it up?"

Teyo hesitated for a moment, shifting his posture to keep hold of the structure. "Well, probably only another minute or so. I'm still just a novice shieldmage…" His sentence trailed off, and Kaya could sense a twinge of inadequacy behind his voice.

"You're doing great, kid. Keep it up while you can."

She saw his ears prick up at these words, and he offered her an emphatic nod. He thrust his hands forward, and the light of his shield seemed to intensify ever so slightly. Inwardly, Kaya breathed a sigh of relief. Then, another question came to her.

"Where are Ral and Lavinia?"  
"Oh, they're out there," Teyo answered, gesturing broadly with his head to the park area. "They're cleaning up these things as fast as they can. Apparently, the blue stuff on these things is really hard, so Lavinia's normal weapons can't cut through. Ral's lighting seems to be working well though."

As Teyo explained the situation, Kaya followed the path of his gesture out to the park. Even through the ethereal filter of Teyo's shield, she quickly found her allies hard at work. The two were working in tandem, it seemed, with Lavinia temporarily immobilizing the creatures with her Azorius law-magic and Ral finishing them off with a blast of electricity from his Accumulator.

As Kaya watched their display, she noticed something troubling. Though she had only been working with Ral and Lavinia for a short time, she recognized the extent of their powers. Lavinia could lock down ruffians for hours with her spells, and Ral's stormcasting carried enough energy to blow up any matter in its path. She was concerned, then, when she saw that the zombies broke free of Lavinia's magical bonds mere seconds after being arrested, and Ral's lightning seemed to only bore small holes into their gleaming blue shells before they fell lifelessly to the ground.

_Either the two of them have gotten weaker, or these things do have some sort of magical immunity. Doesn't matter, as long as we can still drop these assholes quicker than they can get us._

Kaya felt her strength returning, slowly and steadily, like a flower in the noonday sun. The exhaustion was still there, present as ever in the back of her neck and the joints of her limbs, but she felt as close to her old self as she thought possible thanks to the brief reprieve.

"Teyo, how are you holding up?"

"Not great," he admitted, "I probably have to drop the shield soon." Kaya could feel the disappointment in his voice, but now was not the time to lecture him on trying to push through.

"That's fine, you've done good." She retrieved the daggers from her belt and gripped them tightly. Her eyes scanned the perimeter of their barrier. She saw three zombies directly attacking at the shield, with several more surrounding them. A quick sigh escaped her lips, and she straightened her posture to an attacking stance. "At my go, you can drop the shield. I'll take care of the zombies around here."

"Are you sure?" Teyo asked.

"Yeah, I can clear these things away no problem. I specialize in killing what should have stayed dead."

"Well, ok then…" Teyo didn't sound confident in Kaya, but she could hardly blame him. He'd just seen her powerless and had to intervene.

 _Doesn't matter,_ she thought, senses tightening as she readied to fight. _Can't dwell on the past, gotta keep moving forw-_.

Kaya cut her inner monologue short, as she felt a tug at her waist. She looked down and saw Malisa and Lanse, still huddled together on the ground behind her. Malisa's scared and confused eyes met Kaya's.

"M-m-miss, p-please don't leave us here." The girl stuttered over the words, clearly afraid at the prospect of Kaya jumping back into the fray.

For a moment, Kaya wanted to be stern, to tell the young girl to steel herself for whatever might happen. To be ready to run and abandon Kaya if things turned south. To not look back no matter what. These words caught in her mouth, however, spreading a bitter, familiar taste across Kaya's tongue. A taste she didn't want to share with this girl. So, she swallowed the words and let a confident smirk spread across her face.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. You just stay put and I'll keep you safe."

Malisa wiped her arm across her face, and a small smile appeared on her thin lips. She gave Kaya a nod. Kaya returned the nod with one of her own, and the young girl let go of Kaya's coat.

Her daggers came alive with a surge of purple light. She could feel her heart racing with anticipation, and her eyes locked with those of the naga in front of her.

"Alright Teyo, drop the shield and step back!"

Teyo dropped his hands and silenced his spell. In an instant, the white light receded, and the ethereal walls dissipated into the air. Teyo stepped neatly out of the way, circling back to where the children sat against the tree. The creatures that had been pushing on the shield suddenly fell forward, disoriented by the quick reversal of their positions. Seeing this, Kaya sprang into action, twin daggers primed.

The naga was the first in her path, standing directly before her. Its blades were down, aimed at the grass from the follow-through on the dissipated barrier. Kaya saw the easy opening and struck at the naga's chest. The glowing dagger went in and out in the blink of an eye, severing the zombie's connection to its reanimation. Kaya stepped to the right as it collapsed to the ground, motionless. The other zombies, a blade- wielding human to her left and an axe-toting minotaur to her right, took notice of Kaya's attack and readied to strike. They were too slow. Before they could even rear back their weapons, Kaya swiped the minotaur across the leg. It tumbled to the ground as its zombified innards dissolved from her magic. The human swung its blade in a horizontal arc, aiming to lop off Kaya's head, but she deftly ducked beneath it. The blade took off a thin layer of her afro, but she quickly retaliated by shoving her off-hand blade through the human's nose, dropping it instantly.

Kaya couldn't help but smile to herself, feeling the fluidity of her movements despite the damming from the Orzhov debt. She looked around, vision sharpened from the adrenaline. Behind her, there were still a few zombies approaching, weapons and claws bared. She wasted no time and sprinted over to them, careful not to overexert herself. Her dagger met one's chest, leaving a wound that crackled with leaking necromancy before the creature stopped moving. Using her momentum, she vaulted forward and stabbed another through the side of the head before it could raise its blade. Behind her, she could feel another zombie approaching. Turning, she saw the humanoid had its hands outstretched, palms glowing with swirling blue lights. Digging her back foot into the dirt, she sprang forward, accelerating faster than the creature could channel its spell. She thrust both daggers through its palms, ghastly blades slicing easily through the spell and the shell of the beast. The light in its eyes and hands flickered, and it fell before her.

_So, these things can use magic too, huh? Shit, Bolas really isn't making it easy on us. Who knows what else he made them for?_

As if she had asked the question aloud, an answer swiftly came with the sound of beating wings. Kaya turned up and saw a winged zombie, with a bird's head and a humanoid body, barreling down on her. Coming off its rooftop perch with a frightening speed, it reared back a two-headed sickle. Almost in an instant, the aven was upon Kaya, and it swung the scythe in a wide sweep. The bird was fast, and Kaya could barely make it out of the its path in time. Leaping to the side, she dodged the brunt of the bird's attack, but the tip of its weapon managed to graze her. It left a long cut across her stomach, tearing into her coat and leaving an almost imperceptible slash on her flesh.

She readied to retaliate, her legs poised to leap at the bird and sink her daggers into its wings, but the creature didn't stop moving after its attack. It followed through with its slash and returned to the sky before Kaya could take another step forward. She let out a puff of air in frustration, and she felt a slight tweak of pain from the shallow cut on her abdomen. It stung, but not enough to deter her from pursuing the monster.

Her eyes traced its trajectory, but by the time she recovered her footing from its initial attack, the aven was already higher in the air than she could jump, and it showed no signs of turning around. For a moment, Kaya's killing instincts nearly took over, and she almost threw a dagger at the creature. She managed to stop herself in time, knowing full well that, once it left her hand, it would revert to an ineffective piece of metal.

_I guess all I can do is wait and see if it comes back for more…_

She watched the bird soar higher in the air, reaching the heights of the surrounding rooftops. Reflexively, her stance changed to a more defensive one, readying in case the creature turned around for another dive bomb. Her eyes followed the beating of its wings, waiting for them to turn around once again. In and out, in and out, they flapped with an almost mesmerizing pattern as the bird continued to soar. Then, to Kaya's confusion, the wings stopped. The zombie hung in the air for a moment, its previously dynamic body suddenly still, its ascension stopped for some unknown reason.

_What the fuck? That thing just st-_

Before she could finish her thought, something suddenly burst from the aven's back. It arose from within the creature like lava from a volcano, spraying chips of blue armor and chunks of decomposing gore across the empty rooftops. Kaya blinked, unsure of what she was seeing. The thing that had erupted from the aven looked like an eagle, but instead of the brown and white of feathers or the yellow of beak and claw, the entire creature was green. It almost looked like an illusion, a projection from some far-off source, but the impact it made on the zombie told her it was real. It spread its majestic wings as far at it could once it exited the fetid chest cavity, and then it disappeared, evaporating into the air as quickly as it emerged.

The light in the aven's eyes had extinguished as soon as the bird came forth, and the lifeless husk hurtled to the ground before impacting in the dirt with a sickening _crunch,_ followed by the clatter of its weapon. Kaya hardly noticed the meteoric fall, however, as her eyes were now desperately searching for the source of the viridian eagle.

_That looked like a spell, but it's nothing any of us could make. To hit a moving midair target like that, the user would have to be…_

Her eyes followed the hypothetical trajectory, and they fell upon another entrance to the park, opposite the one she and the others had come in. There, she saw a woman wielding a wooden bow. She was breathtaking in stature, wearing a green robe and a deadly serious countenance. Kaya watched as the unknown woman aimed her bow with no arrow notched, then fired a bolt of brilliant green energy toward a zombie on the far side of the park. The arrow penetrated the creature's chest, and a green wolf burst from its back only a moment later.

The sight was amazing, but as Kaya's eyes moved across the park grounds, she saw an even more amazing sight: several other strangers had leapt in to assist them. A white-skinned woman was cutting down zombies with blades of what looked like molten ore, a woman with flaming hair was spraying fire across the field, a silver-haired woman in goggles slung bolts of fire through numerous skulls, and a man in a blue hood was creating multiple copies of himself and using them to corral the creatures into the deadly path of the others. Kaya didn't recognize any faces, but she saw them working alongside Ral and Lavinia, so she had no reason to believe that they were not allies coming to their aide.

It wasn't long before the park was clear, smoldering and pulverized heaps as the only remaining trace of the zombified beings. No one dared to move the listless corpses, choosing to leave them where they lay. As Kaya surveyed the park, she couldn't help but sigh and shake her head, disappointed that this peaceful enclosure in the middle of city now looked more like a battlefield than an oasis. Regardless, she quickly ran to join up with her teammates, who had all gathered around the tree where Kaya had collapsed not so long ago. As she approached the group, however, she was intercepted by Malisa and Lanse. The two children ran up to her from behind Teyo, hand in hand.

"Miss Kaya," Malisa softly said, "is everything OK now?"

She offered a small smile, one with a genuine warmth to it. "For now, yeah. We've cleared you both a path, so now you need to get home, back to your mom."

Malisa's eyes broke from Kaya's, falling to the ground. "B-but… I'm scared to go out there. What if there are more of those things? Will you come with us?" Her voice may have been small, but the pleading was loud as a church bell.

Kaya crouched down until she met Malisa's gaze once more. She put a hand on the girl's shoulder, her grip somehow both firm and gentle. "I'm sorry, but those people who helped me, well, they need me right now. I know it's scary out there, but look at you. You've made it through one encounter with these things already. Not everybody can say that, so you must be pretty strong. Now, there may be other children out in the city who aren't as strong as you, and I need to make sure nothing happens to them. But, I do have a special job for you."

Pausing, Kaya fished into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a small gold coin with the Orzhov insignia emblazoned on it. She held it in front of Malisa's face, making sure the glittering surface caught her eye.

"I need you to give this coin to your mom, OK? It's super duper important that she gets it. So, I need you to get back to your house as fast as you can. Do you think you can do that?"

"I think so," Malisa sniffled. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the gold circle. Kaya let go, and Malisa quickly put the coin into her pocket. With one last reassuring nod, Kaya took her hand off the girl's shoulder. Malisa gave her another nod, grasped onto Lanse's hand, then the two began walking towards one of the park exits. Kaya watched as they disappeared down the shadowy path, and once they were out of sight, she let out a deep sigh and ran to join the others by the tree.

"Good work out there," Kaya said to Ral and Lavinia once she arrived, gesturing with a thumb to the piles of broken flesh. "Did either of you get injured?"

"No," Lavinia replied curtly, her voice thinly veiling a clear annoyance. Kaya furrowed her brow.

"You know, I won't apologize for jumping in without you. A moment later, and those kids would've been ripped apart by those things. I did what I had to."

Ral was quick to jump in, voice eager to diffuse the mounting tension. "It's fine, Kaya. The important thing is that everyone made it out alive. Right, Lavinia?"

Her stoic face remained immovable. "That's true," she acquiesced, "but we need to have a plan before we go jumping into anything else. We may have learned some important information about these odd creatures, but we can't take a risk like that again."

"They're called Eternals," came an encroaching voice. Kaya turned around to see the five individuals who had come to their aid. The man in the blue robes stepped forward. "Hey, Ral. Lavinia. Sorry I haven't been here in a while."

Lavinia's features softened, and if Kaya didn't know any better, she thought she almost saw the creases of a smile starting to form. "We're just happy you've finally made it."

"Yeah," Ral added, his voice less excited and more ambivalent at the robed figure's presence, "took you long enough. We could've really used you at the guild summit."

The man scratched the back of his head, clearly anxious at Ral's provocation. "Yeah, sorry, we've been pretty busy following Bolas's plans. I couldn't find the time. But, I'm here now, ready to finish this however I can."

"Um, sorry to interrupt," interjected Kaya, "but who exactly are you people? Not that I'm ungrateful for the assist, but with an imminent invasion, I don't have time to just trust any stranger."

Lavinia answered, broadly gesturing with a flat hand: "Kaya, meet Jace Beleren, the Living Guildpact. Jace, this is Kaya, the new leader of the Orzhov guild."

Kaya could hardly contain her incredulities. "Wait, you're _the_ Living Guildpact?"

"Uh, yeah, about that…" Jace stammered awkwardly.

"What is it?" Ral asked, urgency plain in his voice.

Jace turned and looked to his companions, all of whom met his stare with a somber gaze. Turning back to Ral, Lavinia, and Kaya, he heaved a mighty sigh, his shoulders falling. "We've got a lot to talk about."


	14. Legion's Initiative

For the first time in what felt like hours, Gideon lowered his sword. It had only been a little over a half hour since he split from the Gatewatch, but he had lost all sense of time. Everything was now blurring together in his memory in a blender-like frenzy. His mind refused to keep track of anything, whether it was the passing minutes, the number of civilians led to safety, or the body count he left in his wake. These Eternals were keeping Gideon on his toes, with exotic weaponry, spellcrafting, and phalanx tactics, but they all fell just the same in the face of Blackblade. It was only now, after he had cleared a large enough swath and commanded a small group of stragglers back to their homes, that Gideon could take a breath.

His eyes went to the sword in his hand. It was now covered in the brown, decayed blood of the Eternals, but he could still feel its thirst. Even when thoroughly coated in the stuff, Blackblade could never be slaked. He sighed, trying desperately to pull his attention away from the weapon's call and toward the task at hand. He hadn't been cutting his way through the city at random. He'd only now cleared away a safe path to his true destination: Sunhome, the fortress of the Boros Legion.

_Jace said we need a strategy. His was to retreat, but that won't save anybody. We need to attack. Who better to plan an offensive than the Boros?_

Though it was a thought to himself, a part of him hoped that Jace's telepathic channel was open. He wanted his teammate to eavesdrop on his thoughts, but he knew it would be an unnecessary risk, one that Jace was too smart to allow. All Gideon could do was hope that his allies' fight was going well, that their plans and his own would eventually converge over Bolas' and Liliana's graves. With this thought at the front of his mind, and his stamina sufficiently regenerated, Gideon headed toward Sunhome.

The building, situated at the heart of the Boros territory, could hardly be described as a guild hall. While other guilds had sizable buildings to suit their needs, they were all dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of Sunhome. It acted as a barrack, training facility, detention center, armory, aviary, and countless other things. No matter how many times Gideon laid eyes on the smooth stone walls that threatened to eclipse the morning sun, he couldn't help but be taken aback. It truly was the stronghold of the city, a fitting place for the paramilitary forces.

As he drew closer to Sunhome, he saw glimpses of the Boros's efforts to combat the spreading plague of the Dreadhorde. Gideon passed many troops as he walked, men and women decked out in gleaming armor, wielding all manner of weaponry to rend the zombie's own protected flesh. He glanced up and saw squadrons of pegasus-mounted soldiers, flanked by armored angels, soaring to intercept whatever Eternals terrorized the skies. He looked down to the street, and all manner of inanimate corpses littered the typically clean walkway. Soldier and Eternal alike were strewn about, weapons jutting from chests and heads and trunks. Bodily fluids leaked from them all, the spoiled blood of the zombies flowing through the cobbled cracks and eventually mingling with the fresh blood of the fallen Boros, creating pools of murky crimson. Even as Gideon skirted around the puddles, he couldn't discern which blood belonged to which warriors. He didn't have time to give it much thought.

Though his destination was before him, Gidoen couldn't help but cast his eyes to the ground. The density of bodies piling on the walkways only increased as he proceeded deeper into Boros territory. At first, they were only in small piles, the sites of singular battles once both sides broke rank. Then, the piles grew into heaps and mounds where battalions of soldiers met with full phalanxes of Eternals. The pungent scent of death grew stronger with each step, and Gideon had to keep himself from gagging. With breath held, he continued to maneuver around the myriad corpses, growing ever closer to his goal. After a few minutes traversing the former battleground, he could finally make out the entrance to Sunhome, and what he saw surprised him.

Surrounding the grounds of the Boros stronghold was a line of soldiers. Gideon strained his eyes, but even his vision couldn't see where the blockade ended. Each was in full plate armor that, though made of polished bronze, shone like gold. They all carried long spears to their sides, holding them upright like fenceposts, though Gideon assumed they were all outfitted with traditional Boros blades and cudgels as well. To complete the look of security, at every soldier's feet lay at least one slain Eternal who'd dared to encroach. It was an unbreakable chain of military might, and Gideon welcomed the sight. He had expected the entire Boros contingency to barrel headlong into the fray, but seeing the restraint put into place by appointing a guard filled him with hope that his quest for a proper plan was not in vain.

He approached the line with head held high, avoiding the crush of outgoing soldier that squeezed through the tightly woven perimeter. Upon reaching the soldiers, he offered them a solemn nod.

"Hello, I need to get inside," he told them plainly.

The soldier in front of him didn't look up, eyes set firmly before her. "Sorry sir, but we are not permitted to let citizens into Sunhome during this time. Please return to your residence or wait for us to procure a guide for you."

Gideon was taken aback by the callousness of the Legion's decision, though he didn't have time to argue with someone who was merely performing their duty. "I apologize," he said with a tinge of annoyance, "I should have been clearer. I'm here to speak with Aurelia." Gideon attempted to take a step forward, but the soldier blocked his path with her lance.

"Sir," barked the woman, still not looking Gideon in the eye, "please step away from the perimeter. All Ravnica citizens have been ordered to stay in their residences for the duration of the conflict. Please take a step back and wait for an escort."

Gideon's brow furrowed. "You don't understand, I need to see Aurelia right away. I don't have time to waste here with what is going on out there. Besides, I'm not even a Ravnica citizen!"

These words, it seemed, flipped a switch in the soldier's demeanor, and she finally met Gideon's gaze. "If you're not from Ravnica, are you a planeswalker?"

"Um, yes." Gideon couldn't help the surprise in his voice. He had expected to have his comment interpreted as him being a vagrant. It was unusual for an average person to know what planeswalkers were, let alone recognize him as one. He took a moment to collect himself, then addressed the woman once more with a reinforced timbre. "My name is Gideon Jura. I hail from the plane of Theros, and I must speak with Aurelia immediately.

To his surprise, she broke rank, stepping aside to make a space in the perimeter than Gideon could pass through. "Go on through, sir. Aurelia and the others are in her chambers, do you need any assistance with getting there?"

"No thanks, I remember where that is." Gideon stepped through the opening, and the soldier immediately retook her position with a resounding clatter. He wanted to ask more questions of the legionnaire, but he knew he didn't have time to waste. So, he moved into Sunhome without a second thought.

As he grew closer to the fortress's entrance, the density of outcoming Boros infantry only grew stronger. Gideon had to bob and weave around the emerging soldiers, narrowly avoiding hard-faced humans, snorting minotaurs, and lumbering giants that all brandished polished weapons emblazoned with the coronal fist of the Legion. None of them payed any attention to him, each face pointed straight ahead with a forged discipline and, if Gideon didn't know any better, a thirst for retributive violence. Though his eyes wandered to the faces passing him by, he managed to slip into the entrance with little obstruction. From there, he let memories from his previous visits guide him to Aurelia's quarters.

The interior of Sunhome was in stark contrast to its exterior. An outside observer would note that its walls were smooth and blank, with no adornment save the occasional window or supportive buttress. Once they step inside, however, their senses might be overwhelmed by the labyrinthine design, with staircases and hallways crisscrossing in all directions. Dormitories and armories, cafeterias and cathedrals, all intersected regularly to create a bewildering, indiscernible pattern for the building's layout. Last time Gideon was here, Aurelia told him that the architectural chaos was a strategic choice. In case an enemy somehow penetrated their defenses, the interior structure would ensure that they couldn't find whatever they may be looking for. Gideon remembered laughing at such a seemingly ridiculous idea. Aurelia hadn't liked that, and she had threatened to leave him in the middle of an unmarked corridor instead of guiding him any further. He'd apologized externally, but in his mind the concept had still seemed so bizarre. Now, as he let his instincts take him to his destination, he considered the chaos he experienced outside only minutes before and marveled at the relative order that Sunhome offered.

The journey through the fortress passed Gideon by. Turning through ever-expanding hallways that seemed to have no end, climbing several sets of steep stone steps, passing rooms full of gods know what, he trudged onwards without acknowledging any of it. His mind was currently occupied with something else. It wasn't the carnage he had left behind, nor the reunion that was growing ever nearer. What echoed in his mind were the confusing words of the soldier who'd granted him passage: _"Aurelia and the others are in her chambers."_

_What others was she talking about? It must be other planeswalkers, given her reaction to my responses. But, who would Aurelia be speaking to, in her room, when the biggest battle of her life is raging outside? The Gatewatch couldn't have made it here before me, so who could it be…_

Gideon's train of thought abruptly stopped just as his feet did. He was so caught up in his own contemplations that he hadn't realized he'd arrived at Aurelia's room. Before him stood a set of double doors, forged from iron and wide enough for the angel's immense wingspan to clear. The only indicator that this was the correct door was a large painting of the Boros sigil, the illuminated fist of justice split down the middle by the doors. He stood silently for a beat, then gave a few quick knocks on the door.

A commanding voice responded from within the room, one whose harsh yet divine candor Gideon instantly recognized. "Yes, come in."

With the invitation, Gideon pushed open the double doors to Aurelia's quarters. The room he stepped into was enormous, as one would expect for the leader of a guild. The ceiling vaulted high above, and the walls were lined with several strategically placed windows for Aurelia to fly through. Colorful tapestries covered the high walls, beautifully depicting military victories from her commanding predecessors. At the ground level, the room design was split in half between a barrack and a war room. An oversized cot sat at one end of the room, nestled between shelves and cabinets for clothing, armor, and personal weapons. At the opposite end, the walls were lined with massive bookcases filled with all manner of Ravnica lore and transcript. These shelves surrounded a large wooden table whose surface showed a topographical map of Ravnica, one which was currently covered in miniature soldiers. It was around this table that Aurelia, and her guests, had gathered.

He immediately recognized the angelic presence of the Boros commander, stooped over the large table with a look of contemplation scrunching her striking features. Beside her stood two more familiar faces, that of Samut, the young planeswalker who had aided them on Amonkhet, and of Saheeli Rai, who helped in the Gatewatch's mission on Kaladesh. The two women flanked Aurelia, each staring at the same table arrangement with intense scrutiny. There were two other people in the room, but Gideon did not recognize them. One was a short, tan-skinned woman decked out in full silver armor adorned with feathers. She stood by one of the shelves, book in hand. The other individual present was an older woman wearing a fur-lined brown dress with a single pauldron. She was seated in an oversized leather chair, one hand propping up her head as she stared across the room.

As soon as he stepped into the room, all eyes were upon him. Aurelia let out an excited exclamation, which rang like a church bell through the silent room. "Gideon! By Razia's light, I was hoping you would show yourself soon. I expected that you would seek me out once you arrived. Come, join us over here. We have much to discuss." She stood up from her hunched position over the battle map and beckoned him over. He could feel an embarrassed smile start to spread over his face at the fuss she was making, so he offered her a quick nod before crossing the room.

Samut stepped out from the table and extended a hand to Gideon, which he gladly took in his own. "It's good to see you again, Gideon," she said. Her voice was cordial, but Gideon could sense an undercurrent of somberness.

"I wish it could have been under better circumstances," he offered.

Samut cracked a smile, but it was one borne of a tired soul. "That's a nice thought, be we both knew the next time we met would be in circumstances like this." At her own words, Gideon saw Samut's features start to fill with anger. He knew how strong her emotions could run, so he put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to cool her down for the moment.

"Don't worry, Bolas isn't leaving this plane alive. He'll pay for what he did to your home, but not until we figure out how to make it happen."

Samut inhaled deeply, then let it disperse through her nostrils. "Wise as ever, Gideon. Thank you."

"So, I take it this means you don't have a plan?" This statement was punctuated by the slamming shut of a book by the woman in the feathered armor.

Gideon turned, and was met with contentious orange eyes. He didn't shrink away under her scrutiny, and he met her stare with his own resolute one. "No, I don't have a plan, but I came here to help develop one."

Seeing his unflappability, she took a step forward and put an edge into her words. "Are you sure that's you best use? You seem like a capable fighter, seeing as your covered in blood that's not your own. Surely, you're of more use on the battlefield than in here, disturbing our progress."

"You needn't worry about that, Huatli," Saheeli interjected, her serene voice cutting through the tension, "I am more than willing to vouch for Gideon's value in this room. He is one of the best warriors I have met, and his strategic knowledge will be indispensable to us."

"I second that," Samut nodded. "If it wasn't for Gideon and his team, what happened to my home would have been infinitely worse. He's the only reason it hasn't been completely scrubbed from the multiverse by that bastard dragon. He belongs here just as much as any of us, if not more."

These statements seemed to do the trick, and Huatli's combative posturing receded to a stance of mild annoyance. She let out a contemplative sigh and looked past Gideon to the women behind him. "If both of you can vouch for this man, I have no reason to doubt you. You have both proven to be exceptional fighters since we met, so I trust your judgement." Her eyes then shifted, meeting Gideon's with a lessened intensity. "Gideon, was it? I apologize for my initial assumption."

He smiled. "It's alright. This is a dire time, and trust isn't something we can give freely when the enemy is at large."

Huatli nodded in agreement. "Well said. You must understand, we've been working hard to come up with an initial plan of attack, but we haven't gotten very far. We can't really afford to have any more unnecessary individuals taking up space."

"Oh, you can just fuck right off, Huatli!"

Gideon turned to look see the source of the outburst. The woman in the chair was now sitting upright, and the glazed-over look in her eyes that Gideon had observed was now replaced with a primal ferocity.

Saheeli once again stepped up to curtail the rising tension. "Arlinn, there's no need for that kind of language. She didn't mean anything by it."

"Like hell she didn't," Arlinn scoffed, her lips twisting into a snarl. "She's been on my ass ever since I ran into you all. I appreciate the save from those zombies, but I didn't come along with you to be insulted by some cold-blooded lizard lover."

Huatli pushed past Gideon and approached Arlinn's chair. "Then why _are_ you here, she-wolf?" she shot back, glowering down at her. "Surely it wasn't to assist us in military strategy, otherwise you would've helped in some way by now."

Arlinn stood up, pushing the heavy chair away with an intense flourish. Gideon hadn't noticed her height while she was seated, but now Arlinn towered over Huatli. Her lips curled into a fierce snarl, her teeth showing in an animalistic display. "First of all, you'd be wise to step back, youngblood. Second, I have told you that I do not command humans. The extent of my battle experience is from pack hunting, and no sapient beings could pull off the elegant formations of a hunt, no matter how well-trained they may be. But you wouldn't know anything about that, since dinosaurs are too stupid to work together."

Even as Arlinn bared her metaphorical fangs, Huatli did not back down. "If your practices are too advanced for us, then by all means, go back out there and fight. I'm sure this time, without our intervention, your wolves will do more than just break their teeth on those zombies' shells."

Arlinn's nostrils flared, and Gideon saw her fingers splay and curl as if she were brandishing a set of claws. "You should consider yourself lucky that I'm stuck in my human form as long as I'm on this plane. No amount of scales can stop a wolf once it pounces."

"And no amount of cunning can save you from the jaws of a tyrannosaurus."

As the two spoke, their eyes began to glow. It was dim at first when they were merely arguing, but the active threats they slung seemed to stoke the fire in their eyes. The fire of Huatli's orange irises reflected the primordial green of Arlinn's. Their words were growing more guttural, sounding less like humans and more like beasts. Gideon instinctively took a step forward. Though he was unsure how to diffuse the conflict between these two strangers, he was prepared to intervene if they came to blows. Looking across the room, he saw Samut's and Saheeli's faces mirroring the look of indecision he assumed covered his own. Luckily, as the two reached a fever pitch of roaring, Aurelia's voice cut between them.

"Stand down, the both of you!" Her voice reverberated around the room, her angelic magic distorting the words with an otherworldly echo. "This pointless quarreling isn't helping us in any way. There is a war raging just outside these walls, and right now we are far outnumbered and outmatched. You all came here because you're looking to help turn the tide of this battle. I let you in, despite the line of armed soldiers standing guard. When I gave them their orders, I told them that no one would pass their perimeter except for planeswalkers. I told them that all planeswalkers are welcome here to assist in my planning. And I told them that because I know first-hand just how capable planeswalkers are."

She looked over to Gideon as she said this, and he could see her features soften and her eyes project a familiar warmth. Their eyes met, and he returned the kind look as best he could. Aurelia's lips twitched upwards, the closest the disciplined leader of Ravnica's military could come to outward expressions, and she turned back to the group at large.

"Planeswalkers are the strongest beings in the multiverse, and not just in muscle or magic. You've all lived different lives on different planes of existence. Those distinct experiences are what we need if we want to save a place as rich and diverse as Ravnica. You all have a role to play, and just because it isn't clear right now doesn't mean it isn't there. We don't have the luxury of dividing ourselves against this threat. A single Boros soldier may be able to hold their own for a time, but they'll never win a full-scale battle. Their collective effort is what makes the Legion strong. So, shall we reconvene?"

Gideon, Samut, and Saheeli looked anxiously across the room, unsure if Aurelia's words had stirred the bestial adversaries. The air was thick with tension, and neither Huatli nor Arlinn seemed to move a muscle. It was as if time had stopped in the room. Then, after an agonizingly long moment, Huatli took a step back, the light in her eyes fading out.

"She's right, now's a time to stand together. We are not friends, wolf, but for the time being, we are allies."

"Couldn't've said it better myself," Arlinn replied. Her eyes dimmed as she deescalated her power, and her face returned to a neutral countenance. Once she finished her curt response, Arlinn made her way to the table beside Aurelia. Huatli said nothing and joined them.

Gideon heard Saheeli let out a light sigh of relief as the heated atmosphere dissolved, and she and Samut shifted their focus back to the plans. He wanted to enjoy the newfound camaraderie, or whatever their resolution could be called, but he knew that there was still far too much work to be done to get caught up with emotions. Following the group's example, Gideon found a spot around the large table and planted his hands firmly on the map's edges.

"Sorry about all that," Aurelia said to Gideon as he joined them. Her voice was even, but he could tell that it was a front. Though she had just diffused a tense situation, the powder keg inside this room was the least of her worries.

"Don't worry about it. I had to give a similar speech to my own friends earlier today. This is a stressful, frightening time, but we need to push forward. It's in the past, all's well now." Gideon hoped to put this behind them, and Aurelia's nod seemed to confirm her desire for the same thing. "So," he continued, "what have you all figured out before I arrived?"

"Unfortunately, not much," responded Aurelia. "Before you came in, Samut was explaining what she knew about the Eternals. I assume you've tangled with them at this point, right?"

Samut's voice came before Gideon could answer. "He's met them, that is a guarantee. He and his team were with me on Amonkhet when Bolas revealed the Dreadhorde for the first time. We lost then, but we learned enough to help us now. Speaking of which, where is the rest of the Gatewatch?"

Gideon's face turned grim. "We were separated when the Dreadhorde first activated. I don't know where they are right now."

"I hope they're alright," said Saheeli, "we will need them for the fight to come."

 _They're alright,_ Gideon thought with unfounded determination _. They must be alright. Jace, Chandra, they'd never let themselves be beaten by Bolas' ground troops. If they fall, I don't know what I'll do…_

Gideon shut his eyes tightly, trying to purge his brain of these negative thoughts. It took a moment, but soon his mind returned to the issue at hand. He opened his eyes once more, vision coming into focus on the Ravnica map before him.

"Jace and I had made a tentative plan, before we got split up. Half of the Gatewatch was going to inform the guild leaders about the situation. That's why I decided to come here, and it's possible that some of the others are on their way to speak to the rest of the guilds."

"What about the other half?" Samut asked. "What was their part of your plan?"

"The other half of the Gatewatch was going to kill Bolas."

Suddenly, the room seemed to freeze. Visible confusion rippled across the gathered faces as Gideon uttered this unthinkable declaration. There was a beat where no one seemed to know how to respond, but Samut soon found her voice enough to counter Gideon's incredulous statement.

"Are you telling me that you had a way to slay that dragon? That you and a few planeswalkers found a means to kill a god?"

Gideon's brow furrowed at the mention of that word. "First of all, he is no god. It will do us all good to remember that. Bolas is powerful, but he is no god. He is an Elder Dragon, and this blade at my side is the only known weapon to have killed one in the past."

"So," Arlinn interjected, "what was your plan? Just run up to the guy and stab him while his back was turned?"

"There was a bit more to it than that," he replied, "but it doesn't matter now. Though I still have the weapon, we no longer have a good means to subdue Bolas when we confront him. Our original plan was for Jace to invoke his judicial powers as the Living Guildpact, but now…"

"The Guildpact has been broken."

Gideon looked to Aurelia, who had finished his sentence with a somber, if not mournful, tone. He looked to her, and she easily anticipated his question.

"Yes, I felt as soon as the leylines were severed. Most of my power as leader of the Legion is drawn from Ravnica, so I knew as soon as Bolas' portal opened that the Guildpact was no more. I suspect the other guild leaders felt it too, except for maybe the new head of the Orzhov. Her connection to Ravnica is probably too weak. Regardless, it's another power that Bolas has denied us."

"Then why don't we go instead?" inquired Huatli. "I can summon a heliopterus to carry those of us who can't fly over to that damnable fortress of his, and then we can…"

Gideon quickly spoke up, cutting off Huatli's plan. "As much as I want to see that dragon dead, he cannot be our main priority right now. Until we can ensure that Ravnica is safe, we can't go after Bolas. He's too well-defended, so our focus right now should be saving as many Ravnicans as we can."

"And what do you propose?" Aurelia asked pointedly. "I already have Tajic rallying troops on the ground, and Feather is overseeing all movement from the skies. What more do you think we can do?"

"Right now, your troops are only intercepting the parts of the Dreadhorde that have spread throughout the city. By the time any of the Boros soldiers see an Eternal, it and its phalanx has already killed everything in its path. Instead of cutting away at the limbs, we need to remove the head."

"They're coming from Amonkhet," Samut said, "but we can't go there. Huatli already told us all about this Immortal Sun that has us trapped on this plane."

Gideon nodded. "That's true. We can't go to Amonkhet directly, but the Eternals aren't coming here on their own. No planeswalker, not even Bolas, can take other living things with them while they planeswalk."

"Then where are these zombies coming from?" asked Arlinn.

Gideon opened his mouth to answer, but Saheeli, eyes widening with realization, responded before he could. "The Planar Bridge. It can transfer inorganic matter between planes, and the Eternals' shells would let them pass through undeterred. That traitor Tezzeret must be on Amonkhet right now, operating the Bridge and ushering Bolas' army through. It's the only way for those things to be here."

"How can you be so sure?" Aurelia asked.

There was a pause, then Saheeli answered gravely: "Because I'm the one who invented it."

As Saheeli spoke these words, her eyes dropped to the table, unable to meet her compatriots'. Her hands, which had been flat against the tabletop, balled into fists from frustration. The room fell silent, and all eyes in the room landed on her. Everyone could see the pain on her face, the deep-seated hurt that her own creation was being used for such evil. She looked like she might cry from the weight of her guilt, but before she could, Huatli shattered the uneasy quiet.

"Saheeli, if you blame yourself for what they are doing, then you are far more foolish than I ever could have guessed."

Saheeli looked up from the table, meeting Huatli's gaze. "What?"

Arlinn growled, "Huatli, what the fu…" Her verbal attack was cut short by a raised hand and stern look from Aurelia. Arlinn dropped her offensive stance, but her eyes still burned in Huatli's direction. Seeing this, Huatli smirked slightly, then continued speaking to Saheeli:

"When my spark first awakened, I was transported from my home on Ixalan to your home on Kaladesh. I was lost and confused, and I lashed out with my dinosaur companions. But then I met you, Saheeli. You helped to calm me, to make me feel safe in a foreign land. You explained everything and helped me to learn about my new place in the multiverse. And I'll never forget how your eyes lit up when you saw your first tyrannosaurus and claimed immediately that you wanted to build one of your own. You're a good person, Saheeli, and the things you create are simply wondrous. It is not your fault for creating this planar bridge, as I am sure your intentions were noble. Blame this Tezzeret figure for betraying you and stealing your invention. Blame Bolas for commanding him. Blame anyone but yourself. I won't go on believing my dear friend is a fool who can't see truth from fiction, and neither should you."

Gideon hadn't realized, but he had been holding his breath since Huatli began speaking. After her exchange with Arlinn, he hadn't expected such a well-spoken response from her. Now that she seemed to finish, his eyes shot back to Saheeli. He feared what he might see, that Saheeli hadn't understood Huatli's eloquent treatise. He shouldn't have worried, however, as he let out his held breath at the sight of Saheeli's genuine smile.

"Thank you," she said to Huatli, "I certainly needed to hear that. Your title as warrior-poet continues to be well-earned. An inventor's worst fear is that their creation will not be used as they intended. Tezzeret still hasn't paid for what he took from me or how he left my home. If I can't control how he uses my invention, then I will have to make him stop."

"Now that's the spirit!" came an enthusiastic cheer from Arlinn. Despite how aggressive she had been to Huatli not a moment prior, her attitude seemed to be infected by the group's mutual distaste for their enemies.

"So," Saheeli said, turning to Gideon, "where is the Planar Bridge opened?"

He pointed to the spot on the map before him. "Right here, at the office of the Living Guildpact. Well, former office at this point, since the portal leveled the building. We need to bring as many troops as we can to the bridge so we can cut off the influx of Eternals at the source."

"That's not particularly close to here," Aurelia contemplated aloud. "Between organizing the squadrons and interference from the detachments of the Dreadhorde we'd meet along the way, we're talking a several hour delay."

Huatli leaned heavily on the table. "We don't have that kind of time. Samut, I saw you use a kind of acceleration magic on our way here. Could you put it on the soldiers?"

She shook her head, black braids swinging despondently. "Unfortunately, no. I can only maintain the spell on one target at a time. An entire infantry is too much for me."

"Damn," swore Huatli under her breath. "Then how do we get there in time?"

"I know how," Gideon claimed. He leveled his eyes at Aurelia, and he could tell that she already knew what he would say. "We need to deploy the Parhelion II."

"Um, what is that?" inquired Arlinn as she idly scratched behind her ear.

Aurelia readily answered: "A fortress, much like the one we're in right now, except it flies above Ravnica. It acts as a home to the skynights and angels of the Boros, who keep watch over the city from the clouds. Dire times like these are the only time that the Parhelion descends."

"Where is it right now?" asked Gideon.

"It's been on patrol, releasing air support across the city. Based on when I last sent orders to it, it should be somewhere over the Simic Combine."

"Well then," Gideon said as he rose from his leaning position, "we'd better hurry up and catch them."

Aurelia shot him a dubious look. "The Combine is several kilometers out. How do you propose we get there without wasting even more time that could be spent killing Eternals?"

"We have everything that we need to get us to the Parhelion in time right here." Gideon pulled his attention to Huatli, his voice suddenly taking on a tone of heroism. "Huatli, can you summon a flying dinosaur that can carry all six of us?"

Her face contorted with bewilderment. "Indeed, a pterodon would fit all of us on its back and still be able to fly. I must warn you that they are not too much faster than we would be sprinting across the street level."

"I figured as much. Samut," he said, turning to her, "can your speed magic affect any creature?"

Slowly, a wide smile spread across each face in the room, as everyone realized what Gideon's plan was. "Yes," she answered emphatically, "my magic will work on all manner of beast."

Saheeli chimed in: "I can construct saddles for the beast with my filigree."

Gideon joined his allies in smiling, partially from their seeming acceptance of his plan, but mostly at the blossoming teamwork he was beholden to in this moment. "Well," he declared, "we'd better not waste any more time then. Let's find a place to take off."

"Alright, let's go knock some skulls!" Arlinn howled, pumping a fist in the air. She leapt from her spot around the table and started walking for the door.

Huatli smirked at her newfound enthusiasm, but she stayed silent as she also left the table. Saheeli and Samut followed suit, and then finally Gideon and Aurelia. The two old friends walked side by side, trailing behind the other four as they headed out of Aurelia's chambers and began fumbling for the way out of Sunhome.

"It's a good plan," Aurelia said to Gideon as they walked.

He smiled. "Thanks, though I'm sure you would have reached the same conclusion I had. And admit it, you've been looking for an excuse to leave your room and fight out there."

Aurelia nodded, knowing there was no point in hiding her intentions. "You know me too well, Gideon. I'd much rather fight at the head of my Legion, so this planning has been an agonizing exercise in pragmatism. I should be thanking you for giving me the opportunity to fight so soon."

Gideon let out a small chuckle, something he didn't think he'd be doing after this morning. "I'm glad you like it. But, I must ask, do you really think it'll work? Bolas' army won't go down as easy as we think."

He looked to her eyes for an answer, a small token to assuage the gnawing anxiety he held in his chest. Gideon was a trained warrior, but even he was unsure how to proceed in a battle of this scale. He had listened to his gut until now, saving those in need and bringing low those who would harm them. But somewhere deep down, he wasn't sure it was enough. He looked to her eyes, and she looked back at him with eyes that shone with hope.

"I do think it'll work. I trust your judgement, Gideon, and I trust these new allies to carry us through. It's like I said before, planeswalkers are the strongest beings in the multiverse."


	15. In Bolas's Clutches

_I've lost him._

Liliana let out a light sigh, inaudible over the bustling crosswinds atop the citadel. As she directed the Dreadhorde, she bore witness to every event that unfolded before the eyeless sockets of each Eternal. She had seen them level buildings, uproot trees, and cut down civilians, but she tried her best to ignore these machinations of war. Instead, by simplifying her commands to the zombies and allowing them to move mostly autonomously, she could devote her focus to seeing where her former allies were gathering. And, not a moment ago, Gideon had slipped from her view as he headed to the Boros stronghold of Sunhome. She didn't know if her sigh was borne of frustration or relief, and this inability to know sent tremors of loathing rumbling across her mind.

_Whatever. It doesn't matter now. He's probably talking to Aurelia because he thinks that she'll be able to help. Gideon's lucky he's pretty. If he thinks any plan he comes up with can stop Bolas, he must be as thick in the head as he is in the arms._

The words felt forced. Perfunctory. Like another person was funneling their thoughts through her mind. It's not that she didn't believe the words, that she doubted the might of Bolas' plan against the Gatewatch's scrabbling. It was the exact opposite. She knew that Bolas could not be stopped, but that didn't mean she wanted it to be so.

_They're going to keep fighting him, no matter what, and they're going to lose. Gideon probably thinks he can come up with a strategy to stop Bolas, but there's nothing he can come up with that that dragon hasn't already thought up and planned around. They're all just rats running around his maze, thinking they'll find a piece of cheese that isn't there._

Amidst the sea of her nihilistic musings, another thought bubbled to the surface. It was pervasive, one she'd thought many times already that day, and one that she dreaded whenever it made itself known.

_And what does that make me, then?_

The sentiment echoed across the reaches of her brain, a knell that threatened to drive her to tears once more this day. She felt the weight of the words on her chest, pulling her heart to the smooth black rooftop with a strength that made her knees buckle. These thoughts pushed her inward, forcing her back into the theater of her mind. Though her face pointed out to the Ravnica skyline, her eyes were focused through the Chain Veil, on the atrocities befalling the city by the Eternals' hands.

_By my hands. I may not wield the blade, but I gave the order that made it fall._

As seconds ticked away, the plague she had unleashed spread further and further into Ravnica's urban bloodstream. She watched an Eternal tear a bush from the ground before tossing its crumpled remains aside. She watched a crop of Eternals stomp through a community garden, leaving it in ruins. She watched a young couple, stalking around corners to remain unseen, bump into an Eternal just before tasting its blade. These scenes played out over and over again, in every conceivable nook and cranny, avenue and alley, of Ravnica. Incalculable collateral damage and countless lives lost across the plane. Liliana watched it all unfold, but even when faced with what her Dreadhorde had wrought, she did not cry. Instead, her face pulled into a stoic grimace, unwavering in the face of the devastation, anchored by a single thought:

_No matter how bad it could be, it is because of me that it is not any worse._

Just as it had throughout the long day thus far, it was this thought that kept Liliana's mind buoyed in the ebbing sea of self-loathing.

_It's because of my commands that the Dreadhorde aren't entering buildings or destroying anything bigger than a person. It's because of me that the only people who have died are those who got caught in the Eternals' way. If I had refused this position, Bolas would have just found another general for his army. One who's not as powerful or skilled as me, of that I can be absolutely certain. They'd be sloppy, careless. They'd let the Eternals run roughshod over this plane, leveling it and killing even those who tried their best to stay out of the fight. If I broke my contract, then I would have died and Ravnica would be the worse for it._

Her knees ceased their trembling, instead locking into an immovably straight posture. Her face, hidden beneath the Veil, hardened once more. The tears that verged on the brim of her ducts receded as if sucked in by a powerful vacuum. In an instant, the old Liliana returned.

_The Gatewatch thinks that they are the heroes of this day, but nothing they do is stopping Nicol Bolas more than what I have been doing since he invoked my contract. I don't care what the Gatewatch or the Raven Man say, I made my choice, and I am doing what I must._

Confidence surged through her body, fists balling with conviction in her actions. A powerful gust shot up from the side of the citadel, but Liliana held fast. She did not falter, she did not bend, and she did not feel the chill over her body. Only the tinkling sound of the Chain Veil's fluttering links indicated that any wind was blowing. When the short burst of air petered out, she remained steadfast in her position over the city.

She looked out over the landscape, eyes flaring over with thick swirls of necromantic energy. Though she faced Ravnica, her sight was once again splintering through the eyes of her Eternal subjects. Now that her guilt was assuaged for the time being, she could once again focus on the task handed down from Bolas.

_I may have lost Gideon somewhere in the Boros region, but I still have eyes on plenty of other planeswalkers. Now, let's see where they're headed._

She had been keeping close tabs on her former friends. She remembered that they were gathering in a park on the border of Azorius territory. They had arrived with new faces, and it seemed they were meeting up with another group of potential planeswalker allies. That was the last she saw before they cleared the area of Eternals for her to spy through. Now, she refocused her effort and scanned through the ground troops' visions. Her eyes flicked around rapidly behind the Veil, searching for distinctive features. Blue hood, flaming hair, ghostly green creatures, Orzhov gold, Izzet chrome. She would not stop until she found them all, and luckily for her, it only took a few seconds before they were in her sights.

 _There they are._ She smiled, content both with her swiftness in finding them and with what she saw. _It looks like they've split up even further. I may not be able to hear what they're planning, but if I know Jace and Gideon, they'll be trying their damnedest to rally the guilds._

Something about this thought didn't sit right. It felt out of place in her mind, like an article of clothing left by a guest in your home. Then she realized why: it was Bolas who had warned her of the Gatewatch's plan. It had been days ago, long before any of them arrived on Ravnica. She had asked the dragon why he was okay with trapping his enemies on the plane, and she could still see the contemplative smoke that arose from his nostrils as he answered: _I HAVE SEEN THROUGH THEIR PLANS. NOTHING THEY DO CAN HARM ME. THEY WILL BEAR WITNESS TO MY ASCENSION, AND THEY WILL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE POWERLESS._

She shuddered, thinking about how Bolas' voice chuckled in her head, his unerring confidence obvious in his words. His psychic tendrils wrapped around her mind as he went on to explain the Gatewatch's inevitable stratagem, tightening around her brain with the grim realization that he must be right. No matter how much she wanted the Gatewatch to succeed, she knew firsthand that Bolas had prepared for whatever ruse they had planned. It was the first time she had felt truly hopeless in a long time.

The memory crept further into her mind, a lingering dread following close behind like an oncoming storm cloud. Knowing what that meant, she quickly waved away the thought, deftly sweeping it under the rug of her conscious mind. Once it was gone, she filled the space with the vision from the Eternals, readily returning to her surveillance of the planeswalkers.

_Ok, let's see exactly where everyone is. Maybe it'll be obvious where they're going…_

Her train of thought tapered off as she searched once again for the planeswalkers' telltale vestiges. It wasn't long before she found them yet again, still following the trajectory she had seen for them a moment before.

_So, it looks like Chandra and Jaya are headed to Vitu-Ghazi. Whomever thought sending the two pyromancers to a giant tree probably isn't thinking clearly. Jace is moving on his way to the Bridge with Ral Zarek and that archer woman. If Zarek is with him, he's probably going to the Izzet headquarters. He probably wants to read through Niv-Mizzet's notes now that the dragon isn't hoarding them. Just as expected, running to unite all the guilds against Bolas. Good luck with that._

Taking mental notes of their position, Liliana shifted her focus from the main players to the other possible accomplices in their plan to take down Bolas. Rifling through the vision of her Eternals, she began to gather whatever information she could about the others.

_Teferi is still at the Planar Bridge with that dragon-mage Sarkhan. They're slowing my progress through the portal, but not stopping it, and it looks like they're both getting tired. I'm surprised Tef's still standing after what that aven did to his arm. I doubt they'll be able to hold out much longer, and then the floodgates will open again._

_Ajani is out running with that merwoman again. The two of them were evacuating people to the city limits earlier, but it looks like now they're headed to the Simic Combine. Probably got word from Jace about the plan. They've also picked up some new faces. I don't recognize that boy or that woman, but judging by their clothes, I'd guess they hail from the Plane of Mountains and Seas._

_No matter where I look, I can't seem to find that Azorius woman that Jace had met up with. She must've slipped away somehow, but where the hell could she be hiding?_

_And it looks like Kaya is returning to the Orzhov with Nahiri and the boy with the shields. That fool…_

Liliana's thought fell off as a cloud of condescension blew into her mind at the sight of the new Orzhov guild leader. Her lips twitched as it fought between curling down in a contemptuous grimace and turning up in a grin of superiority. The dueling emotions broke, and her mouth evened back to a straight line.

Bolas had told her all about Kaya and her part in his plans. How he had contracted her to kill the Obzedat, knowing that she would be locked into their soul contract and inherit their leadership. How he offered her release from her newfound obligation in exchange for fealty. How she refused, and how Bolas abandoned her there. When Liliana had first heard Kaya's tale, she had likened her to Baan or Rade, just another pawn to give Bolas greater control over the guilds. But now, she realized that the fate of the ghost-assassin mirrored her own, except for one difference: she turned down Bolas and lived.

Liliana wanted to be mad at Kaya, to let a maelstrom of rage buffet her thoughts at the injustice of that winged bastard letting her walk away while Liliana was trapped in the palm of his hand. She had envied Kaya's position, for even though she was locked into a contract with the Orzhov, she could still do and act as she pleased. She could still stand up to Bolas and fight him. At first, Liliana wanted nothing more than to switch places with Kaya, to fly free instead of watching the world from between the bars of a cage. All she could see was the 'what' of their disparity, but it was only when she fully grasped the 'why' that her anger transformed to pity.

 _Bolas only let you go because you're weak,_ she silently sneered at Kaya's image as it ran across her Eternals' eyes. _You're too weak to be of any use and too weak to pose a threat. Bolas knew that long before you turned him away. And yet here you are, still aimlessly sputtering around the city, desperate to help. You haven't even realized it yet, that if anything you did this day mattered, you would already be dead._

Then, the distant voice from the back of her mind, the one she had silenced a moment ago, spoke up. She tried to ignore it, but its message came in clear: _If you gave up your power, you could be free too._

A violent convulsion ripped across Liliana's body as it took all her strength to not retch at this ludicrous notion. She maintained her footing, then let the disgust be washed away by a swift surge of rage. With a shake of her head, she swiftly stamped out the voice once again.

_Give up my power? I'd rather let Bolas claw my heart out himself. No, I'll make sure this entire plane knows what true power is. Better to be a dragon in a cage than a bee in the sky._

Liliana pulled back her vision from the Eternals pursuing Kaya and her associates, and her anger began to level out. Once her head cooled, she put a hand above her eyes and looked to the sun over the horizon.

_Judging by its position, it's about the time Bolas wanted that update. If he wasn't so preoccupied with the Elderspell, he could do it himself. He probably just wants to test me, see if I'll disobey…_

She let out a heavy sigh that rustled the hanging tassels of the Chain Veil. Slowly, she began retaking a mental inventory of the planeswalkers' activities, sorting everything out per Bolas' instructions. As she went about her task, her eyes stayed fixed on the horizon, listless with her lack of outward focus. Then, something blew over her head and streaked past her vision. She reflexively swung at the unknown object but felt only air strike her palm. Her eyes followed its trajectory, and she saw a crow soaring over the rooftops. The bird let out a loud caw that echoed across the city before it vanished from sight. Liliana tried to ignore it, begrudgingly returning to the task at hand, but she couldn't help but think that the crow had sounded like it was laughing.


	16. Profane Procession

While Dack's conscious mind objected to his progress, his body continued to move forward. He bounded from roof to roof, his hasty movements disrupting the crows roosting in the early morning sun. As he neared the sight of the disruption, the sounds increased in volume and quantity. Footsteps and hoofbeats multiplied, and a cacophony of smashes, clangs, and booms joined in. Only one word could describe the overbearing orchestra of noise he was approaching: chaos.

Dack audibly gulped, but still he pressed on towards the sounds. He silently cursed whatever damned morality was pushing him forward, but he couldn't make himself turn around even as the noise grew louder and more dissonant. He continued his path across the skyline that would eventually intersect with the traveling source of riotous upheaval.

It wasn't long before his feet touched down on the rooftop that overlooked the alleyway from which the sound emanated. It was a high spire, probably belonging to a church, but it made for an ideal lookout spot. He held onto the peak of the pointed rooftop and listened. The noise was now a bit behind Dack, but it was still mind-rattlingly loud and fast approaching. He could hardly hear himself think as what sounded more and more like a stampede approached his vantage.

 _What the hell could be making all that ruckus this deep in the city?_ Wanting to get a better look, Dack let go of the spire and carefully made his way down to the rooftop's edge. He wobbled slightly, not used to the steep decline, but his quick footing managed to hold. As he reached the furthest part of the roof, he activated his spell from the Amulet of Tarantual. Placing one hand on the building's side, he leaned forward without fear of falling and cast his free hand over his eyes to peer into the distance.

The sound hit him hard, but the source still lay hidden in the alley's shadows. Dack squinted to try and make out anything definite, but all he could see was a massive dark blob ebbing ever closer. There were humanoid shapes, animalistic shapes, and some shapes that Dack couldn't identify, but it all coalesced into a single entity destroying all in its path.

_Shit, I can't let whatever those are get any deeper into the city! Luckily, I have just the thing to slow them down._

Using his free hand, Dack focused his psychometric energy until a small sphere of condensed lightning appeared. It buzzed with arcane electricity, but the sound was warped like it was being played in slow motion.

_The Static Orb should do the trick. I'll wait for them to get close and chuck it into their ranks before they know what hit 'em. Then I can go back to focusing on getting off this goddamned pl-_

Dack's idea stopped short, along with his other conscious processes, as he felt the tremendous impact of some unknown object against his forehead. Pain exploded forth instantaneously, washing away all other thoughts from his mind. He didn't call forth a spell of protection, he didn't scan the area for the source of the projectile, he didn't even scream out in agony. All these conscious acts were drowned in wave after wave of fresh pain. He couldn't do anything except watch as his body acted on its own sense of self-preservation. Before he could stop himself, Dack reached up with both hands to hold the spot that was causing him so much agony.

With both hands held to his forehead, trickles of blood seeping through his gloved fingers, Dack fell from his rooftop perch. As he felt the pull of gravity and saw the rapid approach of the cobblestone street below, Dack's mind finally caught up to his body. At this point, he could finally let out a scream. His fearful cry echoed across the long alleyway for a second or two, then he fell silent as his body hit the ground with a sizeable _crack_.

"FUCK!" he yelled as he lay on his stomach, pain enveloping his splayed figure. His hands had dropped from his forehead and now lay by his side. The slight trickle of blood now made its way down his forehead and began to drip on the stones before him. He tried to move, but every slight motion sent another shock of pain up and down his body.

_Shit, I must've broken a few ribs. My arms and legs are ok, but I won't be able to stand for too long like this. I need to use the Chalice._

Dack shifted and squirmed as he brought his hands together before his face. He flinched with the fresh doses of pain it caused, but he gritted his teeth and did his best to push through it. He cupped his hands together and summoned his psychometric abilities once more. A faint glow appeared around his hands, and he watched intently as his cupped fingers started to fill with a clear liquid that gave off an otherworldly glow and wafts of silver vapor.

"Thank god for those damned Innistrad vampires," he muttered before hastily gulping down the summoned elixir. He felt the sweet draught splash across his tongue and down his throat. It tingled with a purifying magic, slowly spreading from his stomach out to his extremities and filling him with a comforting warmth. Then, he could feel his internal injuries begin to heal.

_It'll be a few seconds before everything's back to normal, but the Chalice of Life should fix up whatever I broke. I just gotta get out of here before…_

He paused, and Dack realized that the pain he had just experienced made him forget about what he was doing on the rooftop in the first place. As the pooling potion disappeared from his cupped hands, he slowly raised his eyes from the street. He looked up, and he saw the shadow cast by the band of creatures he had been tracking through the street. With his view obstructed by the intermittent sunlight, and his own eyes falling in and out of focus from the fall, he couldn't identify just what was before him. The ungodly din had died down slightly as the crowd stood before him, but between the sounds he had heard, the size of the figures in front of him, and the nauseating stench emanating from the mob, Dack still feared the absolute worst.

A figure stepped out from the crowd towards Dack's undefended form. The shadows still impeded his view, but it appeared to be a human wielding an oversized axe in their hands. The figure stopped just before Dack, and he watched as they raised the axe over their heads, the blade reaching into the sliver of sunlight above them to glint in Dack's eye. He wanted to move, but the Chalice hadn't healed his injuries enough. He could probably run, but it wouldn't be fast enough to escape.

 _Huh, I didn't really see it ending like this._ He was trying to stay calm, keep his thoughts ever light and confident despite the absolute terror pounding in his chest. _I always assumed I'd be done in by either a boobytrap or a close encounter gone wrong. Well, at least I can tell Mariel I didn't die with my pants down._

"'old it right there, mate!"

The axe paused in the air, and Dack felt his heart skip a beat. The voice came from somewhere behind the crowd, and the various sounds coming from the mass of bodies started to die down. All heads noticeably turned to the source of the voice. Dack heard a rattle of chains, followed by feet dropping onto the cobbled walkway. The crowd before him parted to let the voice's owner step forward, and as the axe's shadow left Dack's field of view, he finally saw the threat that he had been pursuing.

 _The Gruul? What the hell are these wild dogs doing here?_ His surprised, but finally focused, eyes scanned the crowd. A motley band of humans, goblins, giants, centaurs, and ogres towered before him. Most were half-naked, decked out in either filthy leather loin clothes or armor that was clearly scavenged from the more well-equipped guilds. Some stood, teeth bared and weapons menacingly drawn, while others rode on the backs of hairy, snorting beasts. Standing in the middle of them all was a boy with a horned staff in one hand, a fierce red mohawk, and eyes that reminded Dack of a crazed hyena.

The boy leveled his staff at Dack's face, the two curved prongs lining up with his eyes. This close to his face, Dack could see the splattering of fresh blood up and down the unfinished wood.

"This one looks a little off, eh? Don't look like your average citizen. Where'd ya find this one?"

"Saw him spyin' on us from up on the tower," answered a woman riding an enormous cat-like beast with curled tusks. She pointed to Dack's perch with one hand and held a sling in the other. "He was hangin' over the edge somehow, and I saw some kinda glowin' ball in his hands. Knocked him down from 200 yards out. Figured if he wanted to see us so bad, the street'd have the best view."

The boy nodded, his mohawk bobbing along. "That's why you're the best slinger we got, Karsa." He turned away from the woman and looked back at Dack, striking his staff against the ground with a dramatic flourish. "So, Mister Spymaster, wanna tell us what you're doin' 'ere?"

Dack met the boy's crazed stare, but he refused to answer. He felt the Chalice's elixir working its way through his body, and though he was sure he had healed enough to escape, he knew better than to try and run while surrounded by a pack of Gruul barbarians.

"Aw, c'mon," Domri mocked the prone figure, "ain't you gonna share wit' us? All I wanna know is what brought you to this part of the city, hmm? You don't look like you're from around these parts."

Again, he was met with a cold, silent gaze. Dack could see the frustration grow across the young man's face, and he internally smirked at his own ability to annoy someone without uttering a word. This smugness was swiftly cut short as the butt of the horned staff cracked against Dack's nose, shattering it.

He gasped as blood rushed to the pavement below, pain surging through his face. His face faltered, and as he showed the agony the blow was causing him, the boy smiled.

"I'm starting to think you don't know who I am," he called, voice rising with an unhinged intensity. "Well, allow me to introduce me and mine. The name's Domri Rade, and I'm the chieftain of the Gruul horde! We're 'ere to do two things: tear down this city brick by brick and kill anyone who gets in our way!"

Domri raised his hands above his head, and the crowd erupted into a guttural cheer that shook the surrounding buildings. It reminded Dack of a pack of gorillas preparing for a fight. Amidst the din, Domri's voice cut through to Dack's ears.

"Now, let's try this again, and this time I'll be a bit more direct. Are you from Ravnica?"

Dack spit a wad of blood and saliva in Domri's direction, falling just short of his leather boots. "No, I'm not."

A grin stretched across Domri's face. "Well, that wasn't so 'ard now, was it?"

"Go fuck yourself," Dack snarled.

This comment didn't go over well, and a rage swept over the Gruul faces. The axe-wielder from before, which Dack now recognized as a human clad in worn bark armor, stepped forward with his weapon readied. His bulging arm muscles tensed, and Dack shrunk back in reflexive fear. The man grinned evilly, but before he could take a second step forward, Domri swung his horned staff to his side and blocked his path.

"Nuh uh. Sorry Br'k, but this one stays alive."

Dack could hardly believe his ears. _A Gruul showing mercy? I'm not complaining, but what the fuck kind of mirror universe did I get sucked into?_

Apparently, Dack wasn't alone in this sentiment. Ripples of agitated grunts emerged from the horde like stink lines, once again filling the alley with an unruly noise.

"Why's that?" the hulking Br'k jaggedly asked. "We ain't stopped for no one, why's this guy diff'rent?"

Roars of agreement followed the berserker's questions, nearly drowning out Dack's thoughts. Another voice chimed in, the barely intelligible grumble of a cyclops brandishing a whip made of rusted chains. "What wrong Domri, you like this one? Want him for youself?"

"Shut the fuck up, all o' you!" Dack could practically hear Domri's teeth clatter as he snapped out the command with a sharp ferocity. The murmuring came to a sudden stop, and Domri's eyes crossed over the faces of his unwashed followers, then landed on the singular eye of the cyclops who spoke up earlier.

"No, Urgdar, he ain't for me. This one here's for the boss himself."

The cyclops raised a finger to his lip as he contemplated Domri's words. "Uh, aren't you boss?"

Domri heaved a sigh and shook his head. "I swear, Urgdar, you were probably born with two eyes and just lost track of the other one." He now brought his attention back to the rest of the horde. "For those of you who've forgotten, I am the leader of the Gruul clan, but for the moment, I, and by association all o' you, are following the orders of Nicol Bolas."

This brought another volley of clamoring from the Gruul, each angrily throwing insults at Domri of various degrees of intelligibility.

 _Hoo, they don't seem to like that,_ Dack thought. _I'm guessing this Bolas guy is the one who made those new renovations to the Promenade I saw earlier. I'd hate to meet the guy giving the Gruul orders._

Suddenly, Domri rapped the butt of his staff against the cobblestones. "Oy, shut it!" This time, Domri's eyes lit up with a fiery energy, and his words sounded more like the barking of a rabid wolf. The horde quickly silenced itself, and Dack saw a twinge of fear in the Gruul's eyes.

"Now don't any o' you think for a minute that I've turned against the Gruul! Just because I'm workin' for Bolas don't mean we ain't still free. It's 'cause o' Bolas that we're 'ere right now. He's givin' us the free reign to finally tear down the damn city, to summon Ilharg, and to finally bring about the End-Raze. Ain't that what you all want?!"

An approving cry rose out from the crowd, their energy spurred by Domri's message. Dack barely understood what they were talking about, but he knew it couldn't be anything good.

"That's what I thought," Domri yelled over their cheer, "and that's why we're workin' with the big man. And once he's done with his business 'ere, he told me that we get the plane all to ourselves!"

"But what does this Bolas want from us?" Karsa called from atop her mount.

"That's the easiest part of all. Bolas only gave me one instruction: don't kill people like this f- OY!"

Domri had turned, gesturing with a grandiose show to his new captive, but the spot where Dack had lay was now vacant. While the Gruul had been caught up in their fervor, Dack saw the opportunity to escape. He had slowly shifted into a crouching position, his movements imperceptible to the slow-reacting brains of the barbarians, and he had begun to crawl backwards at a snail's pace. Unfortunately for Dack, their attention turned to him sooner than expected, and he had only managed to skulk a few feet away before Domri angrily leveled his staff in his direction.

There was a pause after Domri's initial outburst. Dack stared at the menacing horde, his eyes wide and figure still, like a gremlin caught in the brights.

 _Maybe they'll just let me go?_ Dack thought in the brief silence. _I mean, if they're gonna bring down the city, what's letting me escape gonna matter?_

Then, the pause ended, as Domri yelled across the gap: "'old it right fuckin' there, mate!" His eyes sparked, and his staff started to crackle with green and red magics.

_Guess that would've been too much to ask._

Snapping to his senses, Dack quickly leapt to his right, his fingers extended to the brick façade of the adjacent building. His fingertips relit with the wispy light of the Amulet of Tarantual, and he stuck fast to the wall. Without any hesitation, Dack started to scale the wall as quickly as possible.

_Shit, that was close! I just gotta get up and over this wall. Once I hit the rooftops, I should be free and clear from these crazy SOBs. That's what I get for trying to help a bunch of people I don't know. Gotta look out for number one, otherwise I-_

Dack's stream of consciousness was suddenly shattered, as he felt something hit against his back. His pulse quickened, and his pupils dilated with fear. It didn't feel like the rock from before, an instant pain in a single area. Instead, it felt almost soft, like the Gruul barbarians had lobbed a pillow at him. This isn't what concerned him, what caused the cold sweat to break anew across his brow. It was the fact that, whatever had impacted him, felt like it was stuck to his jacket.

_Shit shit shit! I gotta get this thing off me before-_

Once again, he didn't have time to finish his thought. He wanted to slough off his jacket and continue scaling the wall. While the prospect of losing his favorite article of clothing didn't exactly thrill him, he knew it was better than whatever the Gruul had planned for him. Unfortunately, he wasn't given the time to make a choice. The projectile that had latched onto his back gave a tug, and Dack was instantly ripped from the building's side.

He crashed to the ground a moment later, landing ass-first and sending a shooting pain up his spine. He hadn't managed to climb very high, but even the minor drop was enough to reignite the injuries he had just healed. The brief thought of running away crossed his panicked mind through the rising tide of pain, but it swiftly dissipated as he realized the mass attached to his back wasn't done. Even after hitting the ground, he still felt the pull on his back, and now he felt his behind being dragged across the cobbled alleyway. He didn't have time to resist as he was reeled in like a dazed flounder. His back to the Gruul, he watched as the wall, and his escape, receded from his reach.

The line on his back gave a last, violent yank, and he fell to the ground. Laying on his back, he saw Domri leering over him, a crooked smile on his face and swirling red and green energy billowing from his eyes. Perched on his staff was a spider, about the size of a hawk, with a thick line of webbing extending from its backside spinneret to Dack's back.

"Now where d' ya think you're off to, huh?" Domri sneered. "I thought we were really 'ittin' it off."

Dack offered a sarcastic smile, his teeth stained with the blood from his broken nose. "What can I say, I just prefer the company of people who don't smell like a bog spirit's taint."

Domri's crooked grin lengthened. "Ah, you're finally talkin'. Good, we still got a few questions for ya."

He cocked his head to his arachnid companion. It grabbed onto the web with its hind legs and started reeling it in, raising Dack off his back and onto his feet. The spider then snapped the line attached to Dack's back and quickly shot out two more balls of webbing at Dack's feet. They stuck fast, and a quick tug confirmed that his feet were anchored to the ground.

"There," Domri smirked, "now you ain't goin' nowhere unless we say so." He waved his staff, and the spider vanished with a wisp of verdant magic.

Dack met Domri's eyes once more with a steeled gaze, and he silently considered his options.

_Shit. I could escape any time, I guess. This Domri kid's tough, but he must not be too bright if he only tied down my shoes. I could just slip outta my boots and make a run for it. Unfortunately, their eyes are on me now. I'd probably get skewered before I could take two steps. Shit, guess I gotta play along for now._

Dack wiped his mouth with his sleeve, leaving a thin smear of blood on both. "So," he began, trying to adopt a tone that both hid his trepidation and his condescension, "what do the Gruul want with little old me? I assumed I'd be painting the sidewalk by now."

Domri snickered. "Well, that'd be pretty good, mate, but we got other plans fo' the likes o' you. My horde may not know what you are, but I do. You're a planeswalker, ain'tcha?"

"Good eye, kid. You must be the first Gruul I've met with an IQ in the double digits. And if you know that word, then I guess that means you're a planeswalker too, right? Specializing in some kinda animal summoning magic?"

Domri spread his arms wide in a boastful show. "Indeed I am, but that's nothing fo' you to worry about. How 'bout you, mate? What sort o' magic you got up those fancy sleeves?"

He paused, briefly considering lying about his true powers in case he needed them later. But he knew that if they smelled a lie, he'd never get a chance to escape. "Psychometry. I can absorb a magical item's spell and use it later."

"Ooh, very impressive," Domri chided, cackling like a hyena. "You may not be from around 'ere, but you fit in just fine. Another city dweller, dependent on the artificial. Too wrapped up in the trinkets of civilization to realize it ain't shit compared to nature. Luckily, that'll all change soon."

"Oh yeah," Dack snidely added, "I thought I heard something about tearing the city down?"

Domri flashed his teeth with a devilish grin. "You better believe it. By the time we're through, no one will even remember this city. And ya know what? I think we've wasted just about too much time blatherin' on with the likes of you."

"So, what, I'm free to go?"

"You wish, mate. Nah, you're comin' with us. The boss'll be real thrilled to see we got a planeswalker all wrapped up for 'im."

Suddenly, Dack remembered what Domri said earlier, before he made his escape attempt. _Their boss wants planeswalkers, but he wants them alive. I don't know why, and I know it can't be good, but that means that these fucks won't touch me._

A slight smile crept over Dack's face, which Domri couldn't see as he turned back to his horde. He was getting ready to remount his riding beast when Dack spoke up, loud enough for all to hear.

"Oh right, how could I forget the boss? This Nicol Bolas guy you keep bringing up, the one who whipped all you savages into a pack of trained dogs!"

Suddenly, for the first time that day, the horde fell totally silent. Domri had a foot in the saddle of his boar when Dack uttered these words. He paused, then leapt back to the ground.

"What'd you just say?" His tone was even, but his mouth was practically frothing as he spoke. The butt of his staff struck the ground, the sound of the impact echoing over the alley and up to the rooftops.

Dack laughed, a low chuckle that disintegrated the tension Domri's show of intimidation was meant to create. "Hah, you heard me, little man. I've been to Ravnica a few times, and I'd heard plenty of tales about the fearsome Gruul clans of the outskirts. But now, all I see are a bunch of limp-dicks too scared of some guy in a black pyramid to do anything without his permission."

Domri swung his staff to face Dack, the sharp horns dangerously close to Dack's pupils. Anyone else would've recoiled in fear, but Dack's unflappable confidence kept his from even blinking at the display.

"You gotta lotta fuckin' nerve!" Domri barked. "The Gruul ain't afraid of nobody, not some stupid dragon 'alfway across the city, and certainly not some pretty-boy asshole who thinks he can tell us who we are!"

Dack grinned, staring past the staff and meeting Domri's furious stare with his own cool detachment. "Then what are you gonna do about it? Your boss wants planeswalkers alive and well. He built those huge fucking monuments, right? Are you really gonna risk pissing off the one guy who can raise a city faster than you can destroy it?"

Of course, Dack didn't know if anything he said was true. But, if he'd learned anything from his travels, it's that lying is 1% cleverness and 99% conviction. As he looked into Domri's eyes, he saw them falter slightly, and he couldn't help but smile.

And then, an instant later, Domri's lips curled into a devious grin, and Dack's smile faded.

"I can appreciate the balls on ya, outsider. You'da made a fine Gruul, though you'd need t' wear down those clean-cut edges o' yours. But you made a mistake, mate, and it's a big 'un."

Dack's heart skipped a beat. He swallowed hard but tried his best to mask the nervous mannerism under his cool façade. "Yeah, and what's that?" he shot back with an aggressiveness that reeked of overcompensation.

"The boss wants you alive, but he doesn't need you in one piece."

_Shit!_

The words rung in Dack's ears, and he felt his heart drop at the sudden declaration. Domri turned to Br'k and motioned his head to the captive Dack. The hulking man smiled and curled his fingers around his axe.

_Fuck strategy, I gotta get out of here!_

Throughout his conversation with Domri, Dack had been slowly wriggling his feet, loosening their position in his trapped shoes. He slid his socks as far as they would go. He had been careful, and it seemed that Domri hadn't noticed Dack was now standing on his tiptoes within his shoes. And now, with the Gruul's threat looming over him, he leapt out of his shoes and readied to flee.

_Hopefully this teaches that Domri brat a lesson about being observant. Luckily, I'll be far enough away that I won't have to find out if he d-_

Dack mind stopped mid-thought. He had planned out his escape route, imagined the artifacts he'd invoke to get away, and pictured in his mind the liberating sensation of the Ravnica breeze on his face as he scurried from rooftop to rooftop. These feelings of freedom would never come, for before Dack's shoeless feet could touch the ground, he was grabbed from behind by a powerful arm across his torso. With his mind blank, he could only turn and see what held him. It was Br'k, the monstrous human who had been standing in front of him just a moment before.

A gasp of air escaped Dack's lips as Br'k's viselike hold tightened on Dack's chest. It took him a moment to regain his breath, but he could only muster a few words.

"How… did you…" he managed to wheeze out before trailing off. His eyes fell back to Domri, who was only barely holding back a fit of laughter at Dack's perplexed face.

"Yeah, that Br'k is a fast 'un. You're not from here, so I'll let you in on a tip: there ain't nothing faster than a Gruul when there's a riot to get to." A roar came out from the rest of the barbarians, a cavalcade of banging and hooting in approval of Domri's praises. Br'k lifted his massive axe, which he still held in his offhand, over his head and howled to his compatriots. This served to whip them even further into a frenzy, a stormfront of noise that threatened to overtake Dack's senses.

Just as Dack thought he would puke from the sensory overload, Domri raised a hand in the air, and the noise subsided. "Alright Br'k, bring 'em over here."

Br'k tightened his hold on Dack's torso, squeezing the last bit of air out of his lungs and practically bulging his eyes out of his skull. Dack wriggled and writhed, but the barbarian's grip was ironclad. His mind was reeling, the lack of oxygen and circulation making it difficult to concentrate. Dack was sure there must be some artifact, some useful bauble in the back of his mind that could get him out of this, but he came up blank. All he could do was stare ahead and watch as Domri's smarmy grin grew ever closer. Domri's eyes, however, were not on his prisoner. Instead, he had turned to call to a member of the horde behind him.

"Oy, Dhuuz! 'ow long's it been since your kronch had a proper meal?" Domri's shrill voice splattered onto the white canvas of Dack's mind, finally pulling his conscious thoughts to the current situation.

A boy promptly answered the question. He not much older than Domri by the looks, and he sported a similar ensemble of colored mohawk and tattered furs. "It's been a couple hours, I'd say. She's due for a feedin' any time now." He rode atop a frothing beast that Dack had never seen before. It had the face of a boar and the body of an ox, with enormous horns jutting from behind its ears, but the most striking feature to Dack was the hungry look in its eyes as it stared back at him.

"Well we can't give 'er a full meal 'ere, but maybe just a snack. How does an arm sound?"

"Oh, she'd just love that!" the boy cackled.

Domri whipped his head back to Dack, hair bobbing with an excited energy. "Well, you heard 'im, pretty boy. Hope you've jacked off enough in your life, 'cause you won't be doin' it anymore!"

The horde around him started to hoot and howl in uproarious fashion as Domri obscenely gestured to emphasize his point. Once he finished, he stepped to the side, grinning wickedly as he cleared a path in the rabble between Dack and the waiting kronch. Dhuuz slapped the beast on its neck several times, whipping it into a veritable frenzy of snorting and grunting. Once it seemed ready to stampede, Domri swung his staff towards the creature in a grandiose display, and Br'k took his first step forward.

Though a hurricane of commotion raged around him, Dack couldn't hear any of it. Though every eye in the horde was on his slow walk forward, he couldn't see any of them. The only thing he saw was the kronch he slowly approached, and the only noise in his ears came from his own mind. After the initial shock of being caught, and the asphyxiation-induced mental fog, Dack's thoughts were finally becoming clear.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!_

He wasn't finding them particularly helpful. He tried to calm his nerves, narrow the focus of his pinballing anxiety. His eyes locked with those of the kronch, but he quickly blinked away after seeing the insatiable hunger staring back at him. He chose to stare at the cobblestones below, desperately narrowing his mind.

_Ok, ok. Ok, shit, I need to get out of this. I don't have time to invoke any psychometry. Hell, I don't even know what I could use to get out of this. The static orb takes too long to charge, the thunderstaff only works at far range, and the oblivion stone doesn't save me so much as delete me. Shit, what do I do?! I can't die like this, arm eaten off by a pig and then sold for scrap. What would Mariel say?_

Thinking of his lost love, a sudden resolve began to harden in his chest. He could feel an electricity start to flow through his extremities, and a newfound strength was starting to form.

_Mariel would say that giving up isn't what Dack Fayden does. He always finds a way out. And she's fucking right!_

Adrenaline coursed through his veins anew. The hardened resolve solidified, then crystallized into a diamond of determination. He looked down to the arm pinning his chest. His hands were stuck to his side, but still in a good position to push out. Dack tensed his muscles. He grit his teeth. He channeled every bit of energy he had left into his arms, focusing every muscle, every tendon, every cell in his body.

Then, he pushed. His hands strained against the muscular arm of his captor. His arms began to burn. He could practically feel all the veins across his body popping up beneath his skin. But he did not stop putting everything he had into his arms, and he felt Br'k's arm slowly give way. A rush of relief started to flood his body at the slight progress.

_Hell yeah, I knew I could do it!_

"Hey, quit squirmin'."

Even among the frenzy of the horde, Br'k's voice rang through. And with those three words, Dack's world crumbled. Br'k moved his arm tighter around Dack's waist. His arms buckled, his hands bent uncomfortably, and his upper-body muscles constricted like a grape in the sun. Worse than all of this, Dack's ego utterly deflated.

_Fuck. I guess that's it then. I knew I shouldn't have come over here, and look what's happened. So much for the greatest thief in the Multiverse…_

He still couldn't hear the raucous laughter that filled the throughway and passed over the vacant rooftops high above. His mind was vacant, almost hollow, as he trudged toward the inevitable pain the kronch represented. The manic eyes of the Gruul were glued to him, absolutely captivated by their prisoner. All he could do was cast his eyes to the ground, defeated.

_I'd rather not look that thing in the face when it bites my arm off, though I guess it doesn't matter either way._

It was then that Dack felt Br'k stop moving. He didn't look up, but Dack knew he was close to the kronch. Puffs of hot air shot forward from the beast's nostrils, tousling Dack's hair across his eyes. Slobber splattered his face as the boy sitting atop the kronch started whipping it into a further frenzy. It bucked and shook the foundation of the surrounding buildings, but even that wasn't enough to pull Dack's eyes from the ground. Neither was Br'k's voice, which cut through the din once again.

"You better not spray on me, outsider. I ain't havin' your blood cover up my tattoos."

With his free hand, Br'k grabbed ahold of Dack's wrist and pulled his arm out. Br'k didn't loosen his hold around Dack's torso, and the added strain on his arm sent new shocks of pain through his body. They barely registered, however, as Dack continued to stare listlessly at the ground.

His eyes fell beneath the kronch, where the slate-gray alley street was darkened by the bestial shadow. He silently lamented what brought him to this point.

_Huh, I knew I should've listened to myself back there. This isn't my battle to fight, and these aren't my people to save. Try to do a good deed, and this is what happens. You wind up captured by barbarians, about to have your entire arm eaten off, with nothing to look at but the stones under the monster's feet and a red streak._

Dack paused. _Wait, red streak? What the hell is that?_

He blinked rapidly, making sure his vision wasn't blurry. He looked again, and what he had seen as a red streak now materialized in his field of view.

_Is that… a devil?_

He briefly considered if he was hallucinating, if Br'k cut off the circulation to his brain and caused it to create the mirage. He tried to blink a few more times, certain that he could stabilize his brain. But, when he opened them again, he was still greeted by the red horns, yellow eyes, and pearly-white smile of a small devil standing just under the kronch. It couldn't have been more than a foot tall, the tips of its horns only just reaching past the kronch's knees. Its clawed fingers curled deviously, and its pointed tail swished back and forth. The devil's eyes were skittering back and forth, as if it was cooking up some kind of plan, but as Dack kept his own eyes focused on it, the devil eventually met his gaze.

As they stared at one another, the devil's grin twisted up the side of its face, and it inched its way closer to the kronch's leg. It turned its back to the leg, stuck its rear out, and held up a finger for Dack to see. And then, for the first time in a long while, Dack found his voice.

"What the fu-"

The devil's tail snapped out, and its pointed barb pierced the kronch's leg. The beast suddenly lurched back on its hind legs, throwing Dhuuz from the saddle. Then, still reared back on two hooves, it let out an earsplitting roar that silenced the surrounding Gruul. Hands went to ears, desperate to block out the kronch's cry, and all started to scatter out of the monster's way. The only people who didn't move out from the kronch's shadow were Dack, still pinned in place, and his handler Br'k. Dack tried to wriggle his way out again, hoping the display in front of him would have provided enough of a distraction, but Br'k's arm was still locked in place.

"Hey!" Dack yelled to his captor, his voice straining over the kronch. "You need to move, or we'll both be crushed!"

Br'k didn't respond. Dack could hardly believe that the Gruul barbarian was this dedicated to dealing with him that he'd risk his own life. He craned his neck up, ready to either appeal to whatever sense he had or just call him an asshole. But when he looked up to Br'k, his breath caught in his throat.

A swirling mass of blackness engulfed Br'k head, like a malevolent cloud of gas that refused to dissipate. It seeped in and out of his eyes, ears, and mouth, rushing out of each orifice before circling back to another. Br'k showed no signs of response to the phenomenon, his face completely blank among the demonic fog. Dack stared in disbelief at his immobile captor, but he was soon shaken from his trance by the sound of the kronch readying to stomp down onto them.

_I don't know what the fuck that is, but I don't have time to worry about that._

Dack took a deep breath, drawing whatever strength he had left into his legs. Then, with a quick twist on the balls of his feet, he spun himself and Br'k around. With his back to the kronch, Dack started to walk forward. His muscles strained to pull the dead weight of the massive barbarian. He heaved himself forward, taking a single laborious step. Dack nearly stopped there, but he knew he needed one more step to get away from the kronch. With his muscles aching and his knees about to buckle, Dack managed to take one more step forward. He stopped, letting out an enormous breath as Br'k's feet touched the ground once more.

The feet of the snarling beast came crashing down. Dack winced, unsure if he'd moved far enough away to avoid the beast's stomp but too drained to move any further.

Then, he heard the cracking off bones. The tearing of flesh. The splatter of blood.

_Oh Gods!_

He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see what condition his body was in. His imagination ran wild with images of trampled legs and crushed ribs. His breathing became erratic, and a cold sweat of anticipation broke anew on his forehead. He waited for the pain to catch up to his brain, for blazing agony to take over his conscious mind.

But nothing came. In fact, he felt the opposite of what he expected. Instead of a crushing weight, he felt lighter, unrestricted in his movements. The only sound he could hear was the massive thumping of his own heartbeat as blood surged through his ears. Slowly, Dack opened his eyes to see what had happened.

The ground before him, his shoes, and the backs of his legs were coated with a fresh splattering of blood. Hair, teeth, and hunks of flesh mixed with the crimson spillage. Out of the corner of his eye, Dack could see the crumpled remains of the arm that carried him to the kronch's mouth. That was all that remained of Br'k that wasn't now stuck to the underside of the beast's massive foot. As he looked at the pool of what had been a human life just moments ago, one thought occupied Dack's mind.

_I fucking made it!_

Despite the gruesome circumstances, a wide grin spread across Dack's face. He balled his fists at his side and pumped them excitedly.

_Fuck yes! The Greatest Thief in the Multiverse can get out of any squeeze. Not sure where the fuck that little devil thing came from, but I really don't give a shit. I'm free now, and I better book it the fuck out of here!_

Dack stood where he was, still silently celebrating his close call. His thoughts completely insulated him from the turmoil that was raging all around him. He was so excited from surviving that he did not notice the Gruul barbarians screaming at the top of their lungs all around him. He didn't notice their war shrieks running off in every possible direction. He didn't notice the riding beasts bucking and snorting in angered confusion. He didn't notice the yells of pain as people died around him. And he certainly didn't notice the kronch that was behind him only a moment before was now to his side and rearing its head back.

The broad side of the beast's tusk collided with Dack's stomach, catching in his chest for a moment before following through with its wide swipe. The wind was completely knocked from his lungs, and he gasped out of surprise and necessity. An explosion of pain blasted across his body, like he had been hit by a Kaladeshian train. This was accompanied by a swift nausea that threatened to upturn whatever food was still in Dack's stomach. He barely had time to recognize the pain, however, as the impact sent him flying across the narrow alley with the speed of a cannonball.

Almost immediately after his senses registered the kronch's attack, his back slammed against the hard brick of the adjacent building. His head subsequently smacked into the wall, a sickening _thud_ resonating in his ears. The ringing grew louder and louder, until it smothered his thoughts. He felt his senses start to falter. The pain started to ebb in and out with his consciousness as he fell to the ground in a splayed heap.

With his head only barely propped up, and his body beginning to shut down, Dack could finally take in the full scene around him. His vision was blurry, but he tried to force himself awake to see what was happening. The ranks of the Gruul looked torn. There were not as many as Dack remembered in the alley. Some lay dead on the ground, while others were simply missing. Red devils like he had seen before crawled over the remaining barbarians, biting and scratching at their unprotected flesh. Some of the Gruul had their heads encased in swirls of black smog like Dack had seen with Br'k, while others' heads seemed to be slowly disintegrating into black ash before blowing away. And then, standing in the center of it all, Domri Rade seemed to be locked in combat with a 10-foot tall winged shadow.

_What the fuck is all this?_

This was the last thought Dack had before he felt his consciousness slip. The battle raged on before him, the sound almost deafening to anyone nearby, but for Dack Fayden, everything went silent.


	17. Chandra's Fury

Chandra couldn’t help but smile. Despite everything that had occurred today, all the death and destruction and division and disappointment, it all seemed to melt into the background as she and Jaya entered the Selesnya territory. She basked in the fresh sunlight streaming down her face, no longer obscured by industrial architecture. Leaves playfully crackled underfoot as they ran along their currently deserted path at a brisk pace. She took in a deep breath through her nostrils, relishing the scent of fresh grass carried on the wind. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see long-legged brushstriders and heavy-horned stags grazing in one of many expansive gardens. All around her, nature bloomed.

It was as if she had been transported somewhere else. Somewhere far away from the urban battleground of Ravnica. Somewhere that she could slow down and relax. Somewhere peaceful…

“Chandra, would you mind slowing the hell down for a second?”

And just like that, Chandra’s idyllic visions were shattered by Jaya’s exacerbated call. Her voice sounded further off then Chandra remembered, so she quickly skidded to a stop and turned around. Several paces behind her, Jaya was now walking forward with a snail’s speed. All Chandra could do was pause in the middle of the road and let out an annoyed puff of air from her nose.

As she waited for Jaya to catch up, Chandra’s eyes wandered once again to the adjacent greenery that dotted the street level. They flittered about, jumping from tree to bush, bush to flower, flower to squirrel, squirrel to tree again. She barely registered any of it, the sights and sounds blurring together as her eyes jittered back and forth across the landscape. An uncomfortable energy pumped through Chandra’s veins, and no amount of scenery gazing could dissipate it.

_We need to get moving already. We don’t have time to waste. A crop of Eternals could be right around the corner. Single troops could come out of that alley over there. Or behind that tree. Or that tree. Shit, I can’t just stay in one place. Aerial zombies could see us. Alert the others. We’d be sitting ducks. Selesnya wouldn’t know to help. They may be under siege right now. They may be burned down by now. Shit, we need to hurry the fu-_

“Chandra!”

Jaya’s yell caught her off guard, and she nearly jumped up in surprise. With the flood of thoughts momentarily dammed, Chandra’s vision focused on the elder pyromancer’s face. Through the wind-tousled hair that fell over her face, Chandra saw Jaya’s eyes staring at her feet with mild concern. Following her gaze, Chandra looked down and saw a small fire breaking out around her shoes.

“Ah, shit!” Chandra called out in shock. She quickly stamped out the fire, leaving a smoldering pile of grass that marred the otherwise pristine landscape. Once it was out, she looked to Jaya with an embarrassed smile she hoped would deflect the upcoming lecture. “Sorry about that, not sure what just happened. No harm done, though.”

Chandra’s grin failed, and Jaya ran a hand through her hair, revealing a new countenance of steely frustration.

“You really need to learn to calm down, Chandra. If you’d been tapping your foot any faster, the whole city could’ve been up in flames.”

Chandra folded her arms across her chest and shot Jaya a contentious look. “Whatever, it’s fine. We have somewhere we need to go and you’re holding us up. Sorry that I want to save the city as fast as possible.”

“You’re getting defensive again,” Jaya sighed. “I may be a bit slower than I was in my youth, but that’s not the reason you almost burned down the Conclave. You were letting your mind wander and you lost track of your power flow.”

“So what?” she spat back, unable to refute her claim. “I have it under control now. Like I said, no harm done. Let’s just get a move on already.” She turned away from Jaya and started walking towards their goal, but then Jaya’s voice rang out once again.

“Do you, though?”

Chandra turned on her heel to meet Jaya’s gaze. “Do I what?”

“Do you really have it under control now? Because based on what I’ve seen today, control is the one thing you don’t have.”

Chandra lowered her arms to her side, balling her fists as anger started to simmer. “Just what is that supposed to mean? Do you need a demonstration of my powers? Because I’m more than happy to give it.”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Jaya suddenly exclaimed, gesturing with both hands to Chandra’s posturing. “That right there, I say one thing and you’re ready to light me up. Ever since we started on the final stretch of stopping Bolas, your fuse has been cut to an all-time low. All it takes for you now is one setback, one single interference with whatever you’ve decided is the right way for things to go, and you’re fit to explode. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you need to pull it together if you want to be of any help!”

There was a pause, a single second where both Jaya and Chandra reflected on what was just said. Jaya wanted to take it back, to apologize for her harshness in this stressful situation. Chandra wanted to agree, to vent all the anxieties that bounced around her head and ask Jaya how she could do better. All either one needed to do was open their mouths and speak their minds, put aside their egos and reach out the person before them. If they could keep the next second from being as deafeningly silent as this one, then maybe the two pyromancers could figure out the best way to move forward.

The clock ticked, and silence reigned.

Chandra dropped her gaze to the ground, her features hardening. She turned away from Jaya and began walking in the direction of their destination.

Jaya lifted an outstretched arm to her companion. “Chandra, wait. I’m…”

Chandra swiftly cut her off, yelling behind her without turning back. “C’mon, we need to get going now. The Dreadhorde isn’t stopping, so why should we?”

Jaya’s hand dropped, and she begrudgingly moved to catch up with Chandra. She moved at a quick clip, but Jaya found it relatively easy to catch up and match her steps. It was a fast-enough pace to convey her hurry, but still slow enough that Jaya thought it a conscious effort to make sure she did not exhaust herself again. She wanted to thank Chandra, but once she saw the intense, forward gaze etched into her face, Jaya opted to remain silent for the remainder of their journey.

The pair remained quiet as they briskly trekked through the Selesnya territory, with only the echoes of their footsteps cutting through the ambient noise of the wilderness. They twisted and turned through the seemingly uninhabited streets and alleys. As they neared their destination, both Chandra and Jaya silently noticed that their surroundings were becoming less and less idyllic. Towering trees bore fresh cuts across their bark, open-air gardens began displaying footprints on top of trampled lilacs, greenhouse windows lay shattered and pots strewn about the ground. It was as they both feared from the lack of activity on their trip thus far: the Eternals had made it to the center of the Selesnya.

Chandra looked mournfully at the state of the vegetation around her. Though she passed by quickly, her honed vision took in every scarred tree and trampled lawn. She had never spent much time around the Selesnya section of Ravnica, but there was always a beauty surrounding it in her mind. The fresh air and unobstructed sun from earlier seemed like distant memories, a place far away in time and space from where she was now.

Off in the distance, she heard a low, guttural moaning. Chandra kept her eyes forward but peered as hard as she could in her periphery for its source. She was not worried, since Eternals didn’t have functional vocal cords to make any sort of noise, but something about the plaintive wail caught her off guard. Scanning the ruined greenery, she saw a large stag laying on its side with a massive gash running along its belly. Chandra could clearly see the poor creature’s organs strewn on the lawn, turning the underlying dirt into a reddish clay. Though its head lay on the ground, it called out in obvious pain to the sky above.

It took all Chandra’s strength not to veer off her path and put the beast out of its misery. Instead, as she kept moving forward, a confluence of emotions started to brew in her brain. The sorrow at seeing such devastation mingled with outrage at its source.

_I can’t wait until we finally bring that fucking dragon down. Only he could start something like this. Tainting such a beautiful, peaceful place is just sick. We still don’t know his plan, but if he wanted to just get rid of the planeswalkers in his way, he could leave the innocent creatures out of it. I wonder if he told Liliana to kill every living thing she encountered. I’ll bet she did it on her own, that sadistic witch. I can’t believe we ever let her join us._

Lost in her own thoughts, Chandra did not feel the hand that fell onto her shoulder until it yanked her back. She nearly fell on her back as her legs continued forward a few steps under the grasp, but she stopped herself short. Once she steadied herself, Chandra turned around to address Jaya.

“What the h-?”

Jaya held a finger to her lips, shushing her outburst. Once Chandra quieted down, much to her own chagrin, Jaya answered her unfinished question.

“We need to be quiet. Do you hear that?”

“What, do you mean that deer moaning off in the distance? Yeah, I hear it. It’s sad but I don’t think it’s anything to be worried about.”

“What?” Jaya pursed her lips, a compromise to the exasperated sigh that threatened to escape. “No, not that sound,” she hissed. “Listen carefully.”

Ignoring her condescending tone, Chandra focused her hearing as best she could against the noises of the ambient wilderness. Eventually, she heard the source of Jaya’s concerns: a multitude of marching footsteps coming their way. She could not make out exactly how many there were, but it sounded like a full crop of Eternals tromping down the street that ran perpendicular to their path.

_If Jaya hadn’t stopped me, I would’ve walked right into their ranks… Whatever, I probably would’ve heard them eventually anyway. They’re lucky I didn’t just bust through their formation._

Chandra leaned in close to Jaya to ensure her whisper would be heard. “I hear them, sounds like a lot coming this way. We should jump them while we have the element of surprise, clear the ranks before any of them make it to Vitu-Ghazi.”

“No,” Jaya countered, her voice increasingly stern yet tinged with worry. “We don’t know how many there are, what weapons they may have, if they can attack us at range or fly or anything else that puts us at a disadvantage. We should wait until they pass us and get them from behind.”

Chandra agreed with Jaya’s point to a certain extent, but there was a nagging problem in her way that prevented her from instantly agreeing. “But we’re too close to the populated area. If they keep going in the same direction, they’re gonna run right into the Selesnya and slaughter them before we have a chance to react.”

“We’re still a few blocks from Vitu-Ghazi, we have time.” Jaya’s voice was terse, as if she were restraining her true emotions from leaking into her words. Unfortunately, Chandra picked up on her tone, and her brow furrowed.

“I’m not worried about the people at Vitu-Ghazi,” Chandra retorted through her teeth, “I’m worried about the people still wandering the streets. More citizens live closer to the tree, and we need to make sure that they don’t get caught in the Dreadhorde’s way.”

“There are no citizens on the streets that you need to worry about. Jace sent a psychic message across the whole damn plane so we wouldn’t have to worry about it. We should wait.”

“But what if there are? Do you want to take that risk? ‘cause I don’t.” The timbre of Chandra’s voice grew curt. In her periphery, she could see the ends of her bangs begin to light with an orange glow. She knew she should remain calm, but Jaya’s obstinance was wearing her patience thin.

“The risk I’m more worried about is jumping in the middle of a crop of Eternals without a true plan of attack. Even if there are any civilians, getting ourselves killed isn’t helping them at all.”

“How weak do you think we are!” Chandra’s voice strained to maintain the hushed tone of the conversation. She looked into Jaya’s unyielding eyes and saw the reflection of her hair glow brighter. “We’re planeswalkers, for Gods’ sake! It doesn’t matter what’s out there, we can fucking take it.”

“Says the girl who can’t conjure a proper flame to kill these Eternals. You’re not ready, we should wait.”

“Fuck you!” Chandra exploded, her hair violently immolating as she screamed these two words at her so-called mentor.

“Chandra,” Jaya hissed, “quiet down, you’re going to attract those zombie’s attention.”

These words fell on deaf ears. “What the fuck do you know about how ready I am? You didn’t listen to a word I said, because something is automatically wrong to you if it came out of my mouth. All you ever tell me is to calm down and be patient, but look at where that got us. We were too late to stop Bolas from trapping us and infesting the city. We don’t have time to fucking waste with all these lives on the line.”

“Chandra, please, just stop all this yelli-”

“So what if I can’t make a little fire dart? Just because I’m not using your methods, you think that I can’t melt through these stupid corpses. I saw how Sarkhan turned them into puddles.”

Jaya leveled an unwavering hand at Chandra. “That’s dragonfire. You know damn well it has additional properties that our fire doesn’t.” She hoped this small drop of logic would snap Chandra out of whatever mental whirlpool she was thrashing about in, but it seemed that Jaya’s words turned to ash as they neared Chandra, blowing away before they could reach her ears.

“I just need to let loose like he did. That’s why I haven’t been able to hurt these things. I’ve been holding back too much for too long. It was fine before. The threats were small-scale, and everyone was together. But now’s not the time for restraint.”

Jaya’s eyes rounded as Chandra spoke, her words moving faster and faster as if they were trying to outrun her common sense. The older pyromancer wanted to remain steadfast, but an almost parental fear started taking over. She reached out a hand and placed it on Chandra’s. It was hot to the touch with magic billowing just beneath the surface, but she barely felt the difference.

“Chandra, please,” she pled, “you need to calm down and think about this.”

Chandra jerked her hand away, a flash of unbridled anger rippling across her face. She took a step away from Jaya and looked her dead in the eyes.

“No, I don’t need to calm down. I’m going to do this, with or without you.”

Chandra’s hands ignited, two balls of flames engulfing her balled fists and hiding their trembling from Jaya’s view. She turned her back to Jaya, pointed her hands to the ground, and shot two jets of fire towards the cobbled street. The force launched Chandra off the ground with a blistering speed. All Jaya could do was watch as Chandra’s arcing trajectory carried her away and wish that she could have said something to stop her.

The wind whipped across Chandra’s face, her hair nearly extinguishing from the drag. She reached her maximum height in a matter of seconds, leveling out several stories off the ground. From her brief vantage point, Chandra finally saw just what threat she had launched herself into.

The crop of Eternals was twenty strong, split into a tight formation of four rows of five soldiers. The frontmost carried curved blades to engage close-range targets, the next two rows had long staffs and spears to push through, and the back two rows wielded slings and arrows to cover their leaders. As Chandra reached her peak, the Eternals had entered the intersection of their path and her own, and they seemed poised to continue barreling down the street until they reached the Selesnya capital.

Chandra hazarded a quick glance back along the road covered by the Eternals. Trampled foliage littered the street, uprooted trees and shrubbery lay discarded, and a few unfortunate souls stained the cobblestones with their blood. The sight made her own blood boil, and as Chandra angled her trajectory in preparation, she let out a shout of righteous anger before descending. She hurtled to the ground like a comet, a tail of fire whipping from her hair. Her vision was nearly hazed over, adrenaline and rage clouding her eyes in a translucent fog. She didn’t care. She knew exactly where she was headed.

If the Eternals heard her approach, they did not show it. Their feet continuing to march forward. Their expressionless faces set before them with mindless focus. Then, in an instant, the Eternals were thrown into chaos as Chandra crash-landed in the middle of their perfectly constructed formation.

The ground practically shook from the impact, and the Eternals stiffly shuffled their positions to maintain their footing against the force. None fell, their hardened limbs reacting quickly. There was a moment of confusion, the automated brains of the zombies adapting to their newfound aggression. They quickly shrugged it off and prepared their weapons, bristling with spears and swords, but before they could unleash any attacks, the phalanx was engulfed by a veritable inferno.

Chandra’s guttural howl did not cease, but the noise was all but drowned out by the roaring nova of flame that emanated from her body. She felt all her pent-up anger and frustration blast from her pores like active volcanoes. Jaya’s condescension, Jace’s aloofness, Gideon’s overprotection, and her own isolation. All of it erupted from within her, carried from deep in her being by waves of pyromantic energy. The fire burned hotter and hotter, turning from orange to blue to white as Chandra cut loose all restraints in her mind. The intensity of the fire left her blinded, but she did not need to see. All her senses were focused on a single, indelible goal: scorch the earth on which the Eternals tread.

_That’s right, you bastards! This is how I get things done. You might’ve stopped me before, but that was different. I’m going all out, no limits, and I won’t stop until your melted shells slip down the gutter. This is what happens when you mess with Chandra Nalaar!_

Chandra could not tell how long she was burning. Maybe minutes, maybe seconds, maybe even less than that. Her mind was too preoccupied, as potent, abstract feelings churned through and guided her thoughts and actions. Freedom. Triumph. Power. For the first time in a long while, Chandra felt strong. So when she felt a pair of metallic hands close around each of her wrists, her heart nearly shattered.

In an instant, the torrent of fire stopped, as if the fuel supply had been cut. Chandra blinked rapidly, her eyes needing to adjust after the lengthy exposure to the blinding flames. It took a few moments for her vision to clear, but she felt immediate regret once she could see again. Every Eternal from the crop was still standing, and they were closing in on her.

_But… but how?_

She looked down and saw the two Eternals who held her arms, a pair of jackals that seemed to move in tandem. She was too stunned in the moment to fight back against their supernatural grips. Her eyes scanned the ground dejectedly, and she saw what small progress her outburst had wrought. Splayed across the cobbled streets were now pools of smelted ore and charred wood, the last remnants of whatever weapons and adornments had been in the Eternals’ possession.

_All their stuff melted, but none of them did. Even as I poured my heart and soul into the attack, these things still pushed through it all to grab me. Letting go didn’t work…_

She felt hollow. Even as the other Eternals tightened their circle around her, she could not muster any energy to try and escape. It was like her very essence had been burned up in her blaze, the ashes of her self fluttering in the Ravnica crosswinds. One of the Eternals stepped before her, its expressionless face glowering down at her with a seeming air of superiority. Her eyes locked with its sockets, and when she saw her reflection against the chromatic lazotep, she truly could not tell if the Eternal’s gaze was more lifeless than her own.

For the first time in a while, Chandra’s mind was quiet. Incessant thoughts no longer buzzing around like mosquitos, vying for her attention. Only one thought stuck out among the white noise.

_What do I do now? I did what I could, and it made no difference. Is this it?_

Chandra closed her eyes, no longer wishing to see the Eternals or her face reflected in their sunken skulls. She listened to the trudging footsteps growing closer and closer, resigned to whatever lay ahead of her. The perfectly timed marching seemed to track with the beats of her heart, each one slower and methodical than one would expect given the graven situation. Then, just as she felt their shadows lengthen over her, a loud _THUD_ rang out before her. Startled, Chandra’s eyes snapped open just in time to see one of the Eternals laying face-down on the cobblestones before her, a smoking hole visible on the back of its head.

Her eyes grew wide as she followed the path of whatever had brought the Eternal down. In the split second before her she looked, Chandra hoped, almost prayed, that her gut instinct was wrong. When her gaze fell upon familiar red robes and silver hair, her heart plunged once more.

“Chandra, I’m coming!” Jaya yelled as she ran from the start of the intersection towards the Eternals, another flame dart manifesting on her fingertips. It cracked through the skull of another Eternal, dropping it to the ground. This seemed to pull the crop’s attention, and all those except for the jackals restraining Chandra started advancing on their new guest.

Even from her obscured position, Chandra could see that Jaya was in no position to take on an entire group of Eternals alone. Her breathing was heavy, her movements were slowed, and her fire was dimmed.

_She must have been running to catch up with me. She was already tired before I decided to jump ahead…_

She wanted to call out to Jaya, entreat upon her to abandon Chandra and save herself. The words caught in her throat, unable to make it past the dry lump of her own defeat. All she could do was watch as the gap between Jaya and the Eternals closed.

Jaya let off another flame dart. It struck true, dropping another lifeless Eternal. Another one spouted from her fingers, but it sailed just between the heads of two adjacent zombies. Jaya halted her forward progress and steadied her aim. With one eye closed, she shot another dart, which hit the leading Eternal in the chest and ceased its movements. In between raspy breaths, Jaya let out a small smirk, the boost in confidence reigniting her hands with intensity. Chandra’s gaze had not left Jaya, and this sight brought a small glimmer of hope bubbling up to the surface of Chandra’s mind. Like a small candle, she could feel the warmth in her chest as she watched Jaya ready for another attack. But, just like any unprotected flame, this hope was extinguished by a powerful gust of air and followed by a sudden darkness.

In an instant, the intersection was covered in a thick blanket of black. Chandra lost sight of Jaya’s features, only the fire on her hands and the purple glow of the Eternals’ eyes remaining visible.

Confusion and fear shot down her spine. _Wait, w-what the hell is going on?_ Chandra craned her neck upwards, expecting something like thunderclouds to be blocking the sun. Instead, she saw a dragon’s visage blotting out the light, the chromatic shimmer of lazotep reflecting off its flapping wings. It hovered over the intersection for a moment, then angled its body for a swift descent. The darkness receded as the dragon approached, and it landed on the ground beside Chandra. It kicked up a burst of displaced air, sending a cloud of dust into her eyes. She winced, and as she attempted to clear her vision, she felt the two jackals holding her hands stand up before forcibly pulling her to an upright position. She stumbled briefly, but she found her footing soon after. Once she had steadied herself, the zombies began marching forward, dragging Chandra along with them.

With her vision still impaired, Chandra nearly fell over her feet with each subsequent step. Each mistimed step brought the supernatural strength of her captors tugging against her arms. She tried to correct her vision as quickly as possible. Tears filled her eyes, borne of both necessity and frustration. Once they flushed out the obstructions, she could see clearly once again. Looking to the ground, she watched the jackals’ steps and matched their timing.

 _Why don’t I just try and break loose?_ This thought crossed her mind for a brief instant, but it was soon swallowed by her emotional state. _Because I’d just fuck it up like last time. Maybe I would’ve tried before, but now… I mean, what more could I even do?_

Scrunching her features, Chandra forced the remainder of the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then, she raised her head to see just what the Eternals were doing. Her newly returned vision was filled by the dragon she was currently approaching. Its massive claws sunk into the street, its wings flat against its back. A crocodile-like maw faced forward, faint purple smoke leaking from between its fangs. There were no eyes in its sockets, much like the other Eternals, but she could somehow still feel it watching her. The sensation sent a chill up her spine, unnerving her enough to avert her eyes from her apparent destination.

Unfortunately, Chandra’s eyes fell on an even more distressing sight. Across the intersection, the remaining Eternals were also approaching the waiting dragon, and standing in the middle of them was Jaya Ballard. Much like Chandra, her arms were each restrained by a lazotep-covered hand around her wrist. She was not going with them quietly, as Chandra saw her fervently pulling against their ironclad grip while spouting a string of obscenities into their rotted ears. Even for a pyromancer of her prestige, she could not muster the strength to break free. Their hold on her wrists prevented her from releasing a dart at a proper angle to kill anything. All Jaya could do was fight against their superior strength and be led to the dragon.

 _Dammit!_ Chandra silently grit her teeth at the sight of her sometimes mentor trying to escape. _She only got caught because she was trying to save me. My screw-up is gonna get us both killed._

The frustration continued to bubble under the surface as she neared the dragon, but instead of her usual white-hot anger, it came as a tingling numbness that spread throughout her body. The depression chilled her movements and deadened her emotions, until all she could do was slump along with her captors, head hung.

She barely noticed as they hoisted her onto the dragon’s back, but as her secured hands touched the unnaturally cool lazotep of its back, a small sense of awareness came with it. This was when she finally heard Jaya’s voice from just behind her, calling her name.

“Chandra, are you ok? Chandra?”

She sounded concerned. Chandra swiveled her head, taking in her surroundings in a deft sweep. The dragon’s back was large enough that the two jackals could sit beside her, keeping her hands pinned against its scales. The other Eternals had all mounted the dragon as well, sitting in rigid formation. And just behind her, Jaya sat, hands held against the dragon like Chandra, eyes full of worry.

“Um, yeah,” Chandra answered, finding the words difficult. It had only been a few minutes, but it felt like years since she last spoke.

“Are you sure?” Jaya pressed. She made a move, as if she wanted to reach out to Chandra, but her hand stuck fast in the Eternal’s grasp. “The Eternals didn’t hit you with anything? They’re a lot stronger than I expected, but I guess that’s what I get for staying far away from them up until now.”

Jaya gave a small laugh, an attempt to soften the dire state they found themselves in. It gave way to an uneasy silence, and Chandra found herself unable to meet Jaya’s eyes. She instead stared at the cobalt shell of the dragon beneath them, seeing her own reflection once more. After several seconds, she found her voice.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I should have listened to what you were saying. I guess everyone’s been right all along, I should just stay out of the way.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.”

These words caught Chandra completely off guard. She lifted her gaze to Jaya again and saw her eyes were fierce and stern. It was like how she looked when chastising Chandra about not controlling her magic properly, but something seemed different. There was a flash of empathy, a warmth beneath the steel. _Has that always been there, and I just never noticed?_

“I may not agree with it,” Jaya continued, “but it was your call to make. What you did was stupid, reckless, shortsighted, and went against everything me and the rest of the Gatewatch tried to plan. That being said, this whole situation is unlike anything we’ve seen before. I can’t say I knew what the right call was. If you’d listened to me, we may not be here, sure, but who knows what could’ve happened? I also lost my temper back there, hypocrite that I am. Sorry about that, I guess I got caught up in doing things my own way too. We both made mistakes, got fired up and lashed out. Just means that we brush ourselves off and try something else. Your actions don’t change your powers, your training, or who you are, remember that.”

Chandra felt the edges of her mouth twitch upwards. “Since when do you give such good advice?”

“Oh, I’ve always been this wise. You just never wanted to listen. I should have let you burn yourself out months ago.” Though Jaya’s words carried her usual snark, Chandra could tell there was still an earnestness behind them. The words, combined with the kindred gaze the two women shared, stirred something inside Chandra. She let a long smile spread across her face, and she gave Jaya an assured nod.

_She hasn’t given up on me, even when I was ready to give up on myself. I guess I can’t beat these things like Sarkhan, and I still can’t do it like Jaya, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find a way. Since when does Chandra Nalaar give up?_

As Chandra felt a mild hope spreading from her chest to the rest of her body, the seat beneath her began to stir. The dragon’s wings unfurled in a single flick, a rush of air scattering the loose gravel. Then, with the flourish of a beast that must have ruled the skies in its former life, the dragon beat its wings and took to the air.

Chandra nearly fell backwards from the sudden force, only the Eternals holding her wrists acting as anchors. The dragon moved with a surprising haste, unlike anything she had experienced before. She craned her neck to look to the ground, which had already begun to recede, a patchwork mosaic of rooftops coming into view. _Man, if this thing wasn’t a zombie that was taking me to gods-know-where, this would be pretty cool._

She paused, something about this thought sticking in her mind. Turning her head, she looked back to Jaya, who seemed to be maintaining her composure against the whipping winds around them.

“Where do you think this thing is taking us?” Chandra asked, her voice straining to be heard over the turbulence.

Jaya tilted her head to look past Chandra, towards the snout of the beast. “From the looks of it, I’d guess we’re headed to that big, black eyesore we saw earlier. I guess we can definitively call that the base of operations. What I want to know is, why haven’t these things killed us yet?”

With her emotions going haywire up until now, Chandra had not considered that. “Huh, that is weird. The Dreadhorde’s been slaughtering innocent civilians since it arrived. Why show mercy now?” An unexpected thought appeared in her mind, one that carried both hope and discomfort. “You don’t think Lili is telling them to spare us specifically, do you?”

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up there,” Jaya huffed, her carrying a sudden edge. “She’s probably still under orders from Bolas. Whatever the reason, that dragon is the one pulling the strings.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Chandra was surprised by the crestfallen tone in her voice. She thought that she had given up hope for Liliana’s return, but confronted with a tangible chance, she let herself get sucked into the fantasy of everyone fighting together one last time. _Like it’d be that easy. If she wanted to come back, she wouldn’t be using these zombies to kill innocent people. It’s fine, I’d rather fight with my real friends and allies than that two-faced, lying…_

She let the thought trail off unfinished. There was no need to waste any more energy on someone who had forsaken her and the Gatewatch so long ago. She turned her focus once again to Jaya. “What do you think Bolas wants with us?”

Jaya let out a belabored sigh. “I’d rather not think about what’s going on between those horns of his. Whatever it is, it can’t be any good for us. We’ll need to prepare for the worst, but our first priority should be trying to escape off this thing before we get there.”

“Any ideas?” Chandra asked.

“Nothing yet, but I’m sure we can come up with something.”

She nodded, throwing a tuft of red hair across her eyes. “Definitely, I’m not about to let these things stop us for much longer.”

Chandra’s mind started to whir as she contemplated possible means of escape. She scrunched her face, desperately trying to filter out the good ideas from the bad. But before she could come up with a definitive plan to secure their freedom, the dragon transporting them started violently snapping its jaws. The motion shook all aboard, and the sudden noise thoroughly spooked Chandra out of her mind.

_What the hell is that? The dragon’s been silent ‘til now._

Chandra looked up to see what was causing the beast such distress, but before she saw anything, the surface beneath her suddenly stopped. The dragon ceased its forward movement, and before anyone onboard could react to the shift in momentum, they were all thrown from the monster’s back.

“SHIT!” Chandra reflexively screamed as she started to fall. She took a single glimpse at the ground, but once she saw the faraway landscape of urban roofing, her eyes instinctively looked away before vertigo could set in. 

_Fuck, fuck, fuck! I can’t die like this._ She could feel the calm that she had just achieved in her mind come undone in an instant, her thoughts start to frantically buzz once more like hungry parasites. _Okay, okay, I just gotta think. The Eternals let go of my hands, that’s good. Those dog-faced assholes are probably also falling to their deaths. No, don’t say that word. Just gotta focus on a way out of this. I can shoot some fire down to cushion my fall. I’ll have to time it, otherwise I’ll either burn out before I get close enough to the roof or I won’t slow down enough. Yeah, that’s it. I hope Jaya’s gonna be okay. She’ll probably figure out the same thing I did. Her timing is probably better than mine, even though she’s so old. Wait, gotta focus. Okay, I’ll have to look down again to get the timing. Hopefully I don’t throw up. I guess it’d be throwing down. Stop it. Focus. Okay, I’ll count it down to eye opening. Better make it a short countdown. Okay, here goes. Three, tw-_

Before she could finish her count, Chandra felt her body stop. She landed on something, and to her utter shock, there was no crack of bone or tear of flesh. In fact, the landing was soft, almost comfortable. Confused, she forced her eyes open. She found herself sitting atop a massive tree branch. Leaves and twigs encircled her, creating a makeshift landing pad to cushion her fall. Her eyes followed the branch back to its source, and Chandra saw the rooftop where the branch had sprouted.

Her branch was not the only one, with two other massive wooden tendrils erupting from the building. One twisted off the roof to her left, while the other shot straight up like a stalagmite. Looking across the wide vista, she saw Jaya sitting on the other branch in a similar setup to her own. She held a hand to her head, and her eyes her cast skyward, wide with surprise. Chandra let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Jaya safe, then followed her eyeline to see just what could put that expression on her face. There, hovering above the rooftop, the Eternal dragon they had been on a moment ago was covered in snaking branches. It looked like a mummy wrapped in reddish-brown bandages, but as Chandra squinted to get a better view, she saw that the branches had pierced the lazotep hide and weaved in and out of the beast. Though it hung in the air, it was motionless, with only the strength of the wood keeping the inanimate corpse aloft.

Chandra was in awe at the raw spectacle before her. _Who could have done something like this?_ The question in her mind was steeped half in admiration and half in fear at the prowess of the unknown mage. She did not have long to pontificate on this, as she suddenly felt the branch she was on start to lower her to the ground. Chandra looked again to her left and saw Jaya’s branch descending along with hers. She was looking over the edge of the makeshift seat, and, to Chandra’s surprise, she seemed to be waving to someone below. Her curiosity peaked, Chandra grabbed hold of the branch with one hand, and with the other hand poised to block the sun from her vision, she peered to the street below.

For an instant, her heart stopped beating. Her mouth fell open. She blinked rapidly, making sure it was not a mirage or illusion. A figure stood on the ground below, eyes cast up to the pyromantic pair. Chandra squinted, trying to make out every detail she could, to drive out all doubt from her mind. The green mantle that flowed in the breeze, the gnarled staff that glittered with primordial magics, the pointed ears and jade markings that framed a stoic, beautiful face, and the verdant eyes, like perfect flower bulbs on the eve of spring. At the sight of all these things, Chandra’s heartbeat returned with a frantic fervor. It pulsated in her ears, drowning out all noise from the city. She felt her breathing increase and her cheeks flush. Noticing these reactions, a huge smile spread across Chandra’s face with the realization that there was only one being in the multiverse that could evoke these responses in her. Nissa Revane, elemental mage and Gatewatch member, had returned.

Without thinking, Chandra vaulted over the lip of her landing pad and started hurtling toward the ground below. The fear she felt before no longer existed in her mind, crowded out by the multitude of emotions swirling in her brain. She saw Nissa’s eyes grow wide, which brought a wicked smile to Chandra’s face. The air rushing past stung at her exposed teeth and gums, but she hardly notices the sensation.

As the ground grew closer, Chandra threw her hands straight down, fingers outstretched. Two streams of fire shot from her palms, lighting up the immediate vicinity and throwing waves of sweltering heat up and down the mostly abandoned road. As the flames met the cobblestones, Chandra felt her speed gradually decrease to a no-longer terminal velocity. She angled her body until her legs pointed to the ground and her hands were at her sides. Chandra decreased the intensity of her jets as she approached, finally turning them off a meter from the ground. She landed on her feet with a light _thud_ , steam emanating from the torched stones beneath her.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Chandra launched herself forward with blistering reflexes. Her eyes were trained on Nissa, who still wore an expression of concern that was clear to Chandra despite the gap between them. Though the ground was now littered with shattered Eternals who did not have a soft landing, she deftly maneuvered around them. In an instant, Chandra cleared the gap, and with arms outstretched, she enveloped Nissa in a hug whose magnitude threatened to send them both toppling to the street below.

Chandra’s arms wrapped tight around Nissa, her hands coming together beneath the billowing cloak so she could tightly squeeze Nissa’s figure against her own. Nissa’s arms remained splayed at her side, so Chandra pulled her into the embrace with all her might. She heard Nissa let out a small gasp of surprise as she buried her face in her shoulder, the rich, earthy smell of her mana filling Chandra’s nostrils. She had so many things to say to the woman pressed against her, but all she could muster were three words in a barely audible whisper: “I missed you.”

Slowly, Chandra felt Nissa close her arms around her as the shock of her affectionate ambush wore off. Nissa latched around Chandra, hands pressing into the top of her back to tighten the miniscule space between them.

“I missed you, too,” she reciprocated, her usually stalwart voice carrying an undercurrent of tenderness. In that moment, a long-missing comfort washed over Chandra’s mind, melting away her anxieties and insecurities. They were no longer on Ravnica in the midst of a war. They were alone together, the only two souls for miles, intertwined. Chandra wanted nothing more than to stay in this moment forever, but she knew that would not be possible. She savored the last few moments of their embrace, then pulled away so she could speak to her friend face to face.

“T-thanks for the save there,” Chandra sputtered, the manic fluctuations in her emotions causing her to trip over her words. “If you hadn’t come along when you did, I would’ve been halfway across the city.”

“Of course. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it sooner. When I was transported here from Zendikar, I tried to find the Gatewatch, but I did not know where to look. I’ve been wandering through the city, taking care of Eternals and trying to find you all. When I saw the fireball you shot up, I came running as fast as I could.”

Chandra blushed, embarrassed to be reminded of her outburst that she had hoped no one saw. She nervously scratched the back of her head and cast her eyes slightly down. “Oh, yeah, that. I’d been trying to burn through these Eternals, but my fire’s not concentrated enough to get through the lazotep. I thought, maybe, if I let it all go at once, it might be enough. It wasn’t. I feel like such an idiot for getting so caught up in trying to force my way to work.” Chandra did not notice the tears until she felt them trickle down her face. Soon, they clouded her vision, obscuring Nissa into broad strokes of green and brown. She swallowed hard, desperate to maintain her composure amidst the gamut of stimulation. Then, she felt a soft hand fall on her shoulder.

“It’s ok,” Nissa softly said, her even voice filled with kindness and devoid of judgement. “I’m sure you’ll figure out another way to take Eternals down. I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you. The Chandra I know is always ready to use her own flame to blaze a new path, but I’m here now to help however you need.”

Nissa placed her other hand on Chandra’s cheek, wiping the tears from her face with her thumb. Chandra looked into Nissa’s eyes, saw the bright orange of her own reflected in the placid green. She opened her mouth, poised to say something she had been holding inside for so long now. But before she could utter anything, the sound of familiar footsteps approaching snapped Chandra back to reality.

“Nissa,” Jaya called from behind Chandra, “that was a damn timely rescue.”

Nissa dropped her hands from Chandra’s face and shoulder, and the two turned to face their ally. Though her hair was tousled and robe disheveled, she did not seem worse for wear. “Jaya, I’m glad to see you are unharmed. I am just thankful that there was enough vegetation around for me to quickly adapt. If I had needed to conjure my own plants, I may have missed you.”

“Yeah,” Chandra sniffed, attempting to rid her face of any last tear remnants, “thanks for everything.”

For a single moment, Chandra could have sworn she saw the start of an embarrassed blush blooming on Nissa’s cheeks. If it was there, it only lasted for an imperceptible instant before retreating. Chandra took a mental note to razz her about that later, when they had time to be alone.

“So, where were you headed before your engagement with that crop?” Nissa inquired.

Jaya was quick to answer: “We’re headed to Vitu-Ghazi. We need to talk to the guild leader so we can drum up more support for the front lines.”

“Jace and the others are doing the same,” added Chandra. “He’s one his way to the Izzet, and Gideon’s with the Boros, we think. We also found a few more allies who are talking to the other guilds. Once we talk to the Selesnya leader, we’ll meet back up with them.”

Nissa gave a quick nod. “Excellent, I’ll accompany you there. We don’t have another moment to spare.”

“You’re right,” Jaya swiftly agreed, “let’s move it out.”

The three women broke from their impromptu huddle and turned to scope their surroundings. The road, riddled with cracked and broken bodies, was not the one Jaya and Chandra had started on. The dragon had displaced them over its brief flight, but Jaya quickly surmised a path that would still lead to their destination. With everyone in agreement, they began running steadily forward, Jaya leading and Chandra and Nissa, side by side, trailing behind her.


	18. Faith's Shield

Though it had only started a few hours ago, today was proving to be the longest day of Teyo’s life. Up until now, his worst days had been ones where Abbot Barrez forced he and his fellow acolytes to perform extra exercises or redo chores that he felt they did not adequately complete. Now, he found himself running across a city that seemed both endlessly wide and tall, following a ghost assassin and an pale woman who controlled burning rocks, on their way to a church that held the spirits of all the dead, to convince them to help in their fight against a giant, evil dragon mage and his army of zombies. Compared to this, the thought of scraping the monastery grout with a wooden brush seemed oddly quaint.

For a moment, his thoughts turned back to Gobakhan and his friends at the abbey. _I wonder what Retha and Vitor are up to right now? I think it’s been a few hours since I got here, so they’re probably back at the monastery after the trip to Oasis. It must be around lunch time. I hope they’re not too worried about me, but knowing them, they’re probably more focused on food right now. Today’s lunch is gonna be stuffed cactus, so I can’t blame them too much. Of all the days I had to miss, why’d it have to be stuffed cactus day?_

Teyo’s mind had been occupied ever since he arrived on Ravnica, fear and awe and confusion and surprise filling his brain to the brim. He’d basically been running for hours on end, and he’d been stretching his powers far past what he had thought he was capable of. So, when his mind finally shifted to the subject of food, it was no surprise when a raucous rumbling erupted from his stomach.

Suddenly, Nahiri stopped dead in her tracks. Teyo paused as well, and he saw her head snap back in his direction, eyes darting every which way. Her arms flew into an offensive stance as bubbling orange magic overtook her pupils. Kaya had moved a bit further ahead before she noticed her allies stopped, but she quickly turned around and rejoined them with a panicked look.

“What is it?” Kaya inquired, fingers dancing above her belt pouches.

Nahiri’s brow creased as her eyes continued to survey their previously traversed path. “Not sure, but I heard something coming from behind us.”

Kaya’s stance immediately dropped. “What do you think, Eternals?”

“No, it sounded more ferocious. It was almost animalistic, like the baloths on Zendikar. You don’t think Bolas has beasts like that at his command, do you?”

“Unfortunately, he might. He’s got the entire Gruul behind him and all their beasts. Shit, we need to get off this path, hunker down until they leave.”

Nahiri nodded. “Sounds reasonable. Can you phase through one of these buildings and unlock it for us?”

“Umm, Miss Kaya, Miss Nahiri? That won’t be necessary.”

Both women looked at Teyo, puzzled looks plastered on their faces. “What are you talking about, Teyo?” Kaya asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Teyo could feel a heat rising in his cheeks. He nervously ran a hand up the back of his head, fiddling with his braid.

“Well,” he murmured, volume impaired by his embarrassment, “that wasn’t a beast you just heard. That, uh, t-that was my stomach.”

The confused looks on their faces instantly disappeared, replaced with a concealed laugh for Kaya and an annoyed huff from Nahiri.

“Sorry about that,” he continued, “I haven’t eaten anything since before I came here, and now would usually be when lunch was served at the monastery.”

“It’s fine,” huffed Nahiri. She had already turned away from Teyo, but saw the light in her eyes recede. “C’mon, let’s get a move on.”

Teyo took a step forward, making sure that Nahiri could still hear him. “Actually, do you think we could stop and eat, just for a little bit? I know we need to keep moving, but all of us fighting at half-strength isn’t worth it, right? We should all take a breather and recharge.”

Without turning around, Nahiri answered: “Sorry kid, we need to keep moving. We don’t have time to waste with distractions like that.”

“But…” Teyo began to protest, but he was interrupted by Kaya.

“Nahiri’s right, we should try and get to the Church as soon as possible. Besides, you’re not really hungry, Teyo.” As she said this, her and Nahiri turned away from Teyo and continued down the deserted alley. Teyo paused and cocked his head in befuddlement. Kaya’s words scrambled his brain for an instant, pausing his entire body. He blinked, and once he saw his allies shrinking in the distance, he shook off any lingering questions and rushed to catch up to them.

Once Teyo returned to his position behind the two woman, seemingly endless queries started to push against the walls of his brain. It took him a moment to sort out his thoughts, and as soon as he did, he piped up. “Miss Kaya, what were you talking about?

“Hmm?” she hummed in response.

“You said that I wasn’t really hungry, b-but my stomach…”

“Oh, that. That’s probably just a bodily reflex. You said this is when you usually eat lunch, so your body is still used to getting food now. But that was before you became a planeswalker. Now, you don’t need to eat as often, and you have more physical and magical stamina. Your brain’ll catch up to that eventually.”

Teyo blinked, trying to process this new and strange information. He wanted to protest further, but as he stood, he noticed that, despite the sonorous roar of his bowels, he did not actually feel hungry. Despite all the running he had been doing, he did not feel as tired as he knew he should. Instead, he could feel something new circulating through his body, a strange sort of energy that carried an ethereal hum from deep within his chest. He had not noticed this all day, but he guessed this must be the ‘ignited spark’ he had heard them mention earlier. Teyo’s eyes widened with a brief understanding of what had happened to him. This self-reflection, however, was cut short by Nahiri, who sounded particularly stunned.

“Wait, kid, you didn’t know any of that? How long have you been a planeswalker?”

Teyo thought for a moment, silently counting on his fingers before responding with a tepid: “I dunno, maybe a few hours. At least three, I’d say.”

Nahiri shot a look back at him, her eyes filled with surprise. Teyo’s eyes fell to the ground before him, her judging gaze filling him with embarrassment. Her head snapped back after only a moment, and then she spoke once more: “Well, you chose a hell of a time to join us. Sorry this had to be your first outing. Guess your luck ran out somewhere.”

Teyo lifted his eyes from his feet. “It’s fine,” he muttered, “I’ve been told that I learn better through example, anyway.” He wanted to change the subject from his own inexperience, so he quickly posited a question to both Kaya and Nahiri: “So, how long have you been planeswalkers?”

There was a pregnant pause after Teyo uttered these words. Silence fell hard upon the group, and their footsteps became the solitary sound along the path. Neither Kaya nor Nahiri turned their head to look at Teyo, so he assumed the worst.

_Crap, I guess I shouldn’t have asked that. Maybe that kinda thing is private for planeswalkers. There’re so many rules I don’t know. How am I ever gonna catch up?_

He opened his mouth, an apology dancing on his tongue, when Kaya’s voice cut him off. It was low and contemplative, much different than her usual cool detachment. “My spark awakened a few years ago, when I got caught in the middle of a job. The job itself was pretty straightforward: ghost of an old scholar mussing around in the Tolvada archives, stealing and hiding books he thought were unfit for the masses. It should’ve been clean, but I was distracted. That was the same day when Janah… and my parents…”

Her voice started to break up, clearly strained beneath the weight of her words. Even at a distance, Teyo could feel the discomfort that accompanied the parsing of her thoughts.

“Kaya, it’s ok if you…” he began, ready to lead into an apology, but Kaya cleared her throat and carried on.

“Anyway, I got distracted deep in the archives. The spirit got ahold of me, took over my body and held my own dagger up to my neck. I thought I was done, but the next thing I knew, I had planeswalked to a brand-new city on a plane called Fiora. Nice place, glad I ended up there. So, yeah, it’s only been a couple of years since then. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Teyo, you’ll get used to it eventually.”

Teyo did not know how to respond to Kaya’s candidness, so he muttered a quick, “Uh, thanks,” before silence returned. As their footsteps echoed across the nondescript building faces, Teyo’s eyes shifted from one companion to the other. Nahiri still had not spoken since Teyo posed his question, but he did not want to press any further.

_I know less about her than I know about Kaya, but I don’t think she’d want me pestering her about personal stuff. She’s a little too intense for me. Maybe after we finish this, I can…_

“So,” Kaya’s voice burst through, shattering the silence and Teyo’s train of thought, “what about you, Nahiri? How long have you been in the game?”

Teyo was relieved that Kaya was just as curious as he was. Nahiri let out a small sigh, seemingly resigning to answer. He braced himself, ready for whatever tale this strange woman was about to spin. This excitement was quickly tamped, however, as Nahiri uttered only a single sentence:

“It’s been far too long.”

Her words were glaciers, cold and hard and swift in sinking whatever conversation they were hoping to have. Both Teyo and Kaya picked up on her tone immediately. These were words of a weary soul, someone whose story could fill many books that people would be loath to read. Teyo’s eyes shifted to Kaya, who eventually met his gaze out of the corner of her vision. She shrugged her shoulders, gestured her head forward, and turned back to the direction they were running. He sullenly nodded to himself, ready to carry out the rest of their mission without any more interruption.

The trio progressed in uneasy silence, and while Teyo knew he should keep his eyes forward, they were inherently drawn to the shifting architecture of the city. The plain buildings in between guild territories slowly gave way to grander estates as they drew closer and closer to Orzhova. Towering arches trimmed with gold and obsidian, windows that shone with every conceivable color, and black-tipped spires that threatened to rip the clouds from the sky all filled Teyo’s vision. He craned his neck, but even he could not see the peaks of the Orzhov rooftops without taking his peripheral vision off the path before him. Instead, he saw translucent wisps and faceless winged gremlins encircle the shadowy pinnacles, low wails in the distance creating an eerie blanket of white noise. Everything culminated into a citywide experience unlike anything Teyo had experienced on Gobakhan. If not for that overwhelming sense of awe, he would have probably stopped dead in his tracks, paralyzed with fear. He continued, however, blissfully unaware of just how unnerved he should be.

 _Kaya warned me about this place,_ he mused, _but I think she might’ve been overreacting. I mean, it’s not the friendliest-looking city I’ve ever seen, but it’s not any crazier than the rest of the city. Maybe if the whole plane wasn’t overrun by zombies, this place would seem scarier by comparison…_

Teyo’s eyes and mind continued to wander, taking in the strange landscape around him. His body moved on autopilot, guided only by the solitary sounds of his allies before him. So, he did not notice that both Kaya and Nahiri had stopped running until he smacked right into the lithomancer’s back.

The sudden impact sent him reeling back, and Teyo felt his feet give way from beneath him. Before he could fall, however, Nahiri’s hand shot out like an arrow and grabbed a fistful of his robes. Her strength kept him from collapsing, instead leaving him dumbfounded in an off-kilter lean.

“Watch your step next time,” she said as she unceremoniously pulled him back to a proper posture. Once his regained his footing, Nahiri let go of his robes and turned her attention to Kaya. “Why’d you stop? What’s the problem?”

“Do you sense some zombies nearby?” Teyo added as he straightened his crumpled robe.

Kaya turned to them, an irked look leveled at Teyo. “First off, that’s not how my powers work. I just kill the undead, I don’t have a homing beacon in my head or whatever. But that’s not the point. Look up there.”

She pointed ahead of them, and the others followed her finger towards a monolithic spire that loomed over the horizon. It was bigger and more ostentatious than any of the surrounding buildings. Deeper black, brighter gold, and more luminous glass set the building apart from the subservient rooftops below it. While Nahiri’s face remained stoic at the sight, Teyo’s mouth fell open as he took it in.

“That’s the fanciest building I’ve ever seen,” he suddenly blurted out.

Kaya fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Yup, that’s Orzhova for ya. The Church of Deals, as they call it, and technically my base of operations.”

Teyo nearly balked at this new information. “Wait, that’s a church? I know you said the Orzhov handle the religion stuff here, but I’ve never seen a chapel like that. How does a church have that much money?”

“No idea, kid, but that’s the Orzhov. You sell them your soul and they collect the interest. Anyway, it’s not the Church I’m interested in. Look out in front, just below the highest set of windows.”

“You mean the thrull, right?” Nahiri asked coolly, prompting a swift nod from Kaya.

 _What’s a thrull?_ Teyo silently puzzled, too nervous to ask the question aloud. Instead, he followed Kaya’s instructions to see for himself. His eyes eventually focused on a winged figure hovering above the church’s entrance. It was like the other flying creatures he had seen in the Orzhov sector today, a small humanoid body with fleshy wings and a featureless gold mask. This one, however, was much larger than the others, its musculature visible even from such a distance. It was also decked out in ostentatious jewelry, gold and silver catching the feeble sunlight to give it an unnerving glow. Teyo watched as it tightly circled in the air, seemingly entranced by the area below.

“Ok, I see it now,” he announced. “What’s so special about that thrull?”

“That’s not just any thrull,” Kaya answered, “that particular thrull belongs to one Teysa Karlov.”

Kaya spat the name as if she had just bitten a rotten plum. Teyo did not know much about Teysa, but he did not want to meet someone who could provoke such a response. Kaya quickly swallowed he gut reaction and continued her thought. “I may technically be the leader of the Orzhov, but she’s the one who’s really in charge. That mangy beast of hers doesn’t get sent out unless there’s a hefty debt to collect or there’s important information to gather. So, if we’re seeing it now, something big is going on outside the church.”

“Any idea what it might be?” asked Nahiri.

“Not sure, but I’d hazard a guess that the Dreadhorde made it to the Church. The thrull looks like it’s steady over the Orzhova courtyard. Teysa’s probably scoping the scene to see if she needs to pack up the coffers and wheel herself out of there.”

Nahiri’s brow furrowed as she thought for a moment. After a few seconds, she responded: “I guess it’d be safer if we all avoid the courtyard then. They can fend for themselves for now, we just need to get to Teysa so she can rally everyone else. Are there any alternative routes to get us to the Church?”

“Sure, I know a few routes that could get us in without coming into contact with any of the Eternals.”

Nahiri nodded. “Good, then we should start on that immediately. We really don’t need to waste any more time.”

“Wait, we should go and help!” Nahiri and Kaya both turned to Teyo, all three of them shocked by the sudden interjection.

 _Was that my voice just now?_ he asked himself. Teyo did not know what came over him, but something about Nahiri’s plan tugged at his chest. Even more surprising, he felt another spout of words coming, and he decided to let it flow rather than try and dam it.

“The city’s not gonna be able to fight back if we don’t get rid of all the zombies around here. My powers can’t do much, but the two of you can really help them. I know you don’t like the Orzhov, Miss Kaya, but we can’t just leave people to fend for themselves, right?”

Teyo felt a rush of relief as the flood of words finally dried up, but this was quickly replaced by an intense awkwardness as the silent stares of Kaya and Nahiri bore into his soul. His entire body tensed, ready for the verbal assault he was sure to get for openly disagreeing during such a dire time.

Images of Abbot Barrez leering over him flashed into his mind. He saw the stoicism of his face that barely masked his anger. He heard the shouts, inarticulate in his memory but clear in their intent. He could feel the echoes of long-past sensations as they split his face in two. The red-hot sting of an open palm on one cheek, the unforgiving coldness of the abbey floor on the other. He saw Retha and Vitor’s faces, neither one daring to look at him for fear of sharing his fate.

He reflexively closed his eyes, and he waited for the silence from his allies to finally break. It seemed to drag on for minutes, but eventually Kaya’s voice rang out.

“I agree with Teyo.”

_Wait, what?_

Like a newly hatched chick, Teyo slowly opened his eyes to confirm what he thought he heard. He expected it to be wishful thinking, a desperate attempt from his brain to shield him from reality. But once his vision focused, there were no intense glares, no raised hands. There was only Kaya offering him her familiar wry smile.

“Are you sure?” Nahiri asked. “I’m all about stopping Bolas and these damn things. We’re planeswalkers, after all. I’ve been prepared to take that risk, but are you ready to do the same?”

Kaya’s voice held firm. “It is a risk, but it’s one I want to take. Teyo’s right, we’re not just on this mission to talk to the guild leaders. We’re also here to cut down as many of these zombies as we can. Bolas thinks his army can just run roughshod over this plane, and we need to tell him otherwise. If he doesn’t have these mindless drones to fight for him, he’ll have to come out eventually. Right, Teyo?”

Teyo looked up in surprise at the mention of his name. He could feel his cheeks redden. “Oh! Um, y-yeah, that’s right,” he eventually managed to sputter out.

Kaya gave him a slight nod of encouragement, and he sensed a smile creep onto his face.

“Plus,” Kaya continued, “clearing out the zombies darkening the Orzhov doorway might make Teysa a bit more compliant. She and I already have our issues, and she doesn’t know either of you, but if we can free the church, there’s a chance she’ll be more willing to help.”

Nahiri let out a small sigh, but rather than looking dejected, a mischievous grin cracked through her marble-like features. “Well, when you put it like that, how can I argue?” Her eyes turned to Teyo, and he saw a surge of orange energy flash across her irises. “We’re not gonna get anything done if we just sit around here all day. We’ll clear the square as quick as we can, then talk to this Teysa character, and then we can meet up with the others from there. Time is of the essence, so let’s go roll some heads.”

Without waiting for a response from the others, Nahiri turned to the looming shadow of Orzhova and pushed forward with a burst of speed that was so sudden, Teyo swore he could see streaks of orange light dragging behind her. Flustered, he turned to Kaya for a response. All she did was shrug and start off after Nahiri, daggers drawn. As he watched Kaya advance to the Church, Teyo let out a light sigh before breaking out into a full sprint to catch up to his allies. Despite the frightening situation he knew was awaiting them, he felt a smile stretch across his cheeks.

_If this is what being a planeswalker’s all about, I think I can get used to it._

It only took him a moment to catch up to Kaya and match her pace, though Nahiri had left them far behind by then. Undaunted, they continued down the deserted alleyway towards their shadowed destination.

As they approached, the solitary sound of their footsteps was slowly joined by the indistinct sounds of the courtyard. At first, Teyo strained his ears to identify the distant clamor, hoping for some early clues about what threat they would face. Once he was close enough, however, the commotion solidified into two unmistakable sounds: the shuffling of metallic feet on cobbled stones and the harsh clang of metal striking metal.

He turned to Kaya. “Do you hear that?”

“Yeah, sounds like my hunch was right. I’m hearing a lot of weapons, so I guess the Orzhov guards are doing their jobs against the Dreadhorde. We better hurry so we can help them out.”

Teyo nodded, and the two doubled their effort to speed towards the courtyard. With their increased velocity, they quickly reached the mouth of the long alleyway, where they saw Nahiri peering from behind a building’s corner. They rejoined their ally, careful to keep out of sight of anyone in the courtyard.

“Jeez, took you two long enough,” Nahiri commented with a facetious sneer. “You two need to train a lot more if you can’t outrun someone as old as me.”

Kaya let out a puff of air, a futile attempt to keep rogue strands of hair away from her eyes. “He’s got no excuse, but I’d like to see you run with the weight of a thousand souls on your back. So, what do we have here?”

Nahiri stole another cautious glance out to the courtyard. “Well, you were definitely right about this place attracting Eternals. There’s a pretty large clump sitting right outside the gates. I’d say there’s about thirty there, maybe more.”

“Hmm,” Kaya mused, her lips pursed in thought, “that is a lot. If we work with the guards stationed outside the Church’s doors, we should be able to pincer them. They’ll either disperse or get mowed down.”

“Don’t think that’ll work,” Nahiri responded. “The guards haven’t moved from their posts.”

Kaya’s lip curled in contempt. “Dammit! Looks like they aren’t lifting a finger until the Eternals are literally knocking on their doors. These fucking Orzhov, only helping out when they’re in direct danger. Cheap bastards…”

Teyo, seeing Kaya’s frustration start to build, quickly interjected with a nagging problem. “Wait, if the Orzhov aren’t fighting the Eternals here, then who is? I could’ve sworn I heard weapon noises.”

“Good ears, kid,” replied Nahiri. “It looks like there’s someone in the center of the crowd. Can’t see through the bodies, but it looks like they’re keeping the horde well occupied without darkening the Orzhov’s doorstep.”

Kaya and Teyo peered over the corner, and they saw movement coming from the center of the crowd that was too agile to be an Eternal. Like Nahiri said, the view was obscured by the crush of bodies, but Teyo caught a glimpse of an impressive ornate sword clashing against the curved blades of the Dreadhorde.

While Teyo was transfixed by the sight of the battle, Kaya piped up. “If that person’s confident enough to get in the middle of those things, they must be powerful.”

“Or stupid,” Nahiri jibed.

“Either way, they’re gonna need our help. Nahiri, we should split around the group, cut them off from both sides and work our way towards the center. It might help to alleviate the pressure and make it easier to cut more of them down.”

Nahiri nodded. “Probably our best bet.” Her hands suddenly became bathed in swirling orange energy, and she plunged them into the side of the building that acted as their cover. When they emerged, she held a broad sword, still glowing with molten heat. “I’ll circle to the left, you two circle to the right.” Without waiting for acknowledgement, Nahiri leapt from the building’s shadow and darted in a wide arc towards the left side of the pulsating Eternal mob.

Kaya’s daggers started to glow purple, and she poised to follow Nahiri’s example. Before she took off, she looked over her shoulder.

“You ready to get in there, Teyo? You’re gonna have to keep me covered while I take the Eternals down. It’s not going to be easy.”

Teyo met her gaze, his own features hardening to an unbeknownst resolve. “Yeah, I got this.”

Kaya smiled. “Damn right you do. C’mon, let’s get out there before Nahiri gets them all.” With this declaration, Kaya sprang from her crouched position and, with head down and daggers out, she barreled towards the Eternal swarm.

Not missing a beat, Teyo followed right behind her. As they banked around to the right side of the Eternals, he started his low monastic chant. With his hands outstretched, he began to trace geometric patterns in the air. Two small circles of energy began to coalesce in his palms, a lattice of lines and dots imprinted on the shimmering faces. Once the circles solidified, Teyo encompassed each one within a white diamond. He grit his teeth and doubled the speed of his chant, forcing the spell out of his body. The diamond shape was then repeated, each new one branching from the old into an ethereal tessellation. He felt his breathing quicken, but he did not stop the outpouring of mana. In the blink of an eye, the pattern extended past his hands and engulfed himself and Kaya. The walls locked together at an angle in front and behind, enclosing the upper halves of their bodies within a diamond-shaped shield.

“This is as big as I can make it,” Teyo called out, trying his best to not show his exertion. “Moving shields are hard, and I’ve never done anything this size.”

Without turning around, Kaya answered: “Don’t sweat it, Teyo, this is perfect. We’ll wedge ourselves right into the crowd and make our way to the center. How long do you think you can maintain it?”

“Probably a few minutes.”

“Plenty of time. Alright, you better brace for impact!”

While they had been talking, they rapidly closed in on the zombie crowd. Teyo took a deep breath through his nose and flexed his fingers, trying to ensure his barrier would be strong and flexible. Then, with his entire body braced, Teyo rammed the shield into the mob’s perimeter.

There was a reverberant _thunk_ as the lightshield’s tip bounced against the hardened back of a minotaur Eternal on the ring’s edge. The vibrations pulsed along the shield’s surface, eventually travelling up Teyo’s fingers. He felt it, not just in his stomach, but in his spark. The anti-magic property of the lazotep tried to dissipate the barrier, painfully twisting his chest so he would yield. Despite the discomfort, Teyo kept the mana flowing and his stance firm. He pushed forward, and the lightshield’s angled surface shoved the Eternal aside. It wedged into the newly created gap and slid forward like a plow, carving a path for them to follow.

After feeling the initial bump and the subsequent scrape along its back, the minotaur Eternal turned its attention away from the mysterious person at the center of the circle. It pivoted on a single hoof and spun around, oversized axe reared back. It poised to strike, but before it could fully face the lightshield, it received a face full of Kaya’s spectral dagger. The zombie dropped instantly, and Kaya quickly pulled her ethereal hand back through the barrier.

Though Teyo kept his eyes and feet forward, he heard the lifeless husk fall to the ground underneath the lightshield. Without looking down, he deftly maneuvered around the obstruction, stepping over the horned skull while keeping the shield steady. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but it stopped short as he watched Kaya pivot on her heel and deliver another swift stab to a humanoid Eternal menacing the other side of the shield. Instead, Teyo clenched his jaw and pushed their makeshift caravan forward, dodging the slumping bodies as they continued to fall at his feet.

The pair quickly fell into an almost comfortable rhythm. Kaya pirouetted from one side of the shield to the other, dealing clean strikes to the adjacent Eternals. Teyo’s eyes followed Kaya, allowing him to step around the falling corpses while still pushing the shield through the gaps in the crowd. Their progress was meticulous, and Teyo could tell that Kaya was just as exhausted as he was from the constant use of their powers. The two kept moving, however, knowing that if they stopped this frantic dance, it could spell doom for them and their mission. That was more than enough motivation for Teyo to keep pumping magic into the barrier despite the low, dull ache across his body and soul.

 _I can do this, I can do this,_ he repeated in his head. It was a simple mantra, one that gave his subconscious control over his shieldmage chants and batted away the sneaking tendrils of doubt that stood ready to ensnare his brain. His vision was starting to blur, Kaya’s form reduced to a streaking blur of brown, gold, and purple against a shifting blue backdrop. His breathing was ragged, and his legs seemed to struggle with holding his weight. Still, his mind did not go silent. _I can do this, I can do this, I can do this…_

Then, just as he thought he was on the verge of collapsing, the diffused cobalt of the Eternals parted in his vision. The vibrations of neutralizing energy bouncing against the barrier ceased, replaced with a tranquility that slowly spread up the length of the lightshield walls. This sudden feeling of calm sent a shot of adrenaline into Teyo’s weary bloodstream. Rejuvenated, he pressed his heels to the cobblestones and kicked off, propelling himself, Kaya, and the shield into the eye of the storm.

Teyo stumbled into the small carved-out circle in the center of the Eternals, nearly tripping from the sudden lack of force pressing against the shield. He temporarily dispersed the barrier, his free hands landing on his haunches as he stooped to catch his breath. He did not have time to do so, for as soon as he stopped moving, he heard the sound of a blade slicing through the air just above his head. His head shot up, and his hands reflexively followed, palms already aglow with shieldmage power. Though his vision was still unfocused, he saw the silver streak barreling down on his. Before he could react, however, the sword stopped in midair, the razor edge just inches above his face. Teyo’s heart pumped wildly in his ears, but over the commotion, a voice spoke out.

“You’d do well to not get in my way, young one.”

Though the sword wielder shouted to be heard over the shuffling and clanking of the Eternals, Teyo was taken aback by the dignified tone it carried. Before he could respond, the sword was lifted from his proximity, and he heard it cut through the air beside him, burying itself in an Eternal’s neck.

The near-death experience instantly sharpened Teyo’s vision, and he had to force himself not to gasp when he saw the person they had come to assist. He struck an imposing figure, nearly two heads taller than Teyo. Skin the color of volcanic ash, eyes that shone like golden coins, and wind-swept hair that was as white as driven snow. He wore a flowing black cloak over what appeared to be a shimmering breastplate beset with jewels. All of these details paled, however, to the splattering of bright-red blood that covered the man’s hands, clothes, and, most unsettlingly, mouth. It was not the brown, decayed blood that coated the man’s sword as he continued to mercilessly cut down Eternals. Teyo knew that, wherever that blood came from, it was a live source. He shuddered, unsure if he should stay so close to this stranger, but he was quickly snapped out of it by another voice to his right.

“Hey, Teyo,” Kaya yelled, “we could use your help here!”

He followed her voice and gave a small nod of acknowledgement. With his senses returning, Teyo concentrated on his remaining mana and erected a standing shield to cover his and Kaya’s flank. The Eternals crashed against the wall with increased fervor, but it remained stable with its connection to the ground. He knew he could not extend the wall all around the small epicenter this stranger had created, so Teyo spread his arms wide and blocked off the half of the circle from which he and Kaya had emerged.

_This should hold, and Kaya can start picking them off over here. Hopefully that guy and Nahiri can take care of the rest._

He took a couple of deep breaths, and once he was sure the lightshield would not fold, he turned his head to observe the rest of the scene. To his side, Kaya continued to stab through the shield, each blow dropping another Eternal. He noticed a few scratches around her legs, probably from their initial push through the crowd. Despite this, not to mention the shallow breaths he saw escaping her mouth, she showed no signs of slowing her attacks. Her tenacity calmed his nerves slightly, and he decided to turn his attention to the unnerving man behind him.

From his periphery, Teyo saw the stranger violently swinging his sword in wide arcs, cleaving through multiple bodies in single swipes. Even with the brutality of his movements and his blood-splattered features, the man maintained a balanced countenance. It was as if he did not know he was in any danger, like the Eternals were nothing more than sparring dummies. He was efficient and precise with his cuts, and while this should have brought Teyo a bit of peace, he still could not help but shrink as far away from the man as he could.

_I guess I shouldn’t judge, but something about him gives me the creeps. With his skin, and all that blood, I would’ve guessed he was a zombie. But if he’s on our side, I need to support him too._

Teyo planted his feet and redoubled his efforts to harden the barrier around his half of the circle. Myriad Eternals were pressed against the translucent surface, battering it with blade and claws to no avail. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an Eternal’s hand extend past the edge of the barrier, the curved blade in its hand poised to strike the gray-skinned stranger. With a broad stroke of his hand, Teyo forced the wall to stretch over, knocking the Eternal’s arm with enough force to make it lose its grip. The exotic sword clattered to the ground, and as soon as the man heard the sound, he lopped off the Eternal’s head in a single motion. He looked to Teyo for a moment, offered a curt nod, then resumed his work.

Teyo reflexively smiled at the acknowledgement, but he quickly shook it off and readied to return his focus to maintaining the lightshield. Before he turned back, however, Teyo noticed a growing noise coming from within the ranks of the Eternals. It was an erratic clattering of metal, mixed with the faint sounds of sizzling blood and bodies falling to the ground. He tried to look through the throng to confirm the source, and though he could only make out a flickering orange glow, it was enough for him. Teyo slid his shield over a few inches, and with the path now cleared, Nahiri burst through the Eternals with a bloody flourish.

_Alright, now that we’re all here, we can really start…_

Teyo’s thought trailed off as he looked over to his reemerged companion. He had expected Nahiri to readily return to chopping down Eternals. Instead, she was stock-still, standing with her back to the ebbing swarm of zombies as if they had faded from her consciousness. Her sudden immobility was concerning enough, but what truly gave Teyo pause was the look etched on Nahiri’s face. Teyo could find only one word to describe it: _hatred_.

He had seen plenty of angry faces before, but nothing like this. Pure, unadulterated hatred poured from Nahiri’s dagger-sharp eyes and severe mouth. Confused, Teyo traced the path of Nahiri’s intense glare across the narrow battleground. On the other side, he saw the gray-skinned stranger, who had ceased his attacks on the Eternals and was meeting Nahiri’s fiery gaze with a bone-chilling one of his own.

An unparalleled rage radiated from the two, amplified by the taut silence between them. These emotions simultaneously pulled Teyo’s attention in and caused him to drop back in worried expectancy. He did not know what was going on, or why, or how long they would simply stand there while the Eternals closed in. All he could do was wait and hope something would break the unbearable tension. Luckily, he only had to wait a few seconds before Nahiri’s steely tone cut through the air.

“I see you’re out of the wall.”

Her voice rumbled across the courtyard like a magmatic landslide, inescapably audible even in the face of the Eternal’s constant attacks. Though Teyo did not understand what she meant, the thinly veiled rage behind her words was clearer than blown glass. His eyes shifted to the stranger, unsure how he would react to such brazen hostility. The man did not back down, and a menacing snarl parted through the blood on his face, revealing a set of ivory fangs. The sight sent a shiver down Teyo’s spine, which was only amplified when the stranger responded.

“Yes, I’ll have to give my thanks to whomever pulled me from your prison. But that can wait. Now that you’re here, Nahiri, I can properly celebrate my freedom.”

Her scowl deepened. “From the look of your face, you’ve been celebrating plenty. How many innocents have you drained since you arrived?”

“Your self-righteousness is pitiful. Every moment within that stone was torture. I was dropped on this plane as a husk, barely able to walk. My powers were weakened, but not permanently. I did, as I always have, what I needed to do to survive. The blood of these innocents is on your own hands.”

“Fuck you!” she spat, eyes flaring with orange wisps. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You're faced with another planewide threat to the Multiverse, and all you can think about is yourself. That’s all Sorin Markov cares about, and everyone else is just another bag of blood to suck dry and throw away when you’re done!”

Sorin’s stance aggressively shifted, and his golden eyes suddenly shone like a lighthouse beacon. “Do you think yourself above whatever is causing this? What these zombies are doing to this plane is no different than what your cultists did to my home, to my family. As far as I can see, you and this ‘planewide threat’ are two of a kind.”

“Don’t you dare compare me to Bolas.” Nahiri did not back down from Sorin’s posturing, matching his body language with an assertive pose of her own. “I did what I did for justice, to set the Multiverse right. After what happened to Zendikar, your home deserved to burn.”

“I should have sealed you back in the Helvault to rot.”

“And I should have lopped off you head when I had a chance.”

The air was thick with their animosity, and it grew stronger and stronger with each incendiary word and hostile movement. Teyo’s entire body was tense, a mixture of anticipation from the confrontation happening behind him and weariness from the Eternals around him. Though Sorin and Nahiri had paused their weapons, the Eternals cared not for a momentary ceasefire. They continued to push in, and the already small perimeter steadily diminished. Teyo wanted to say something to the contentious pair, but he was too afraid of accidentally igniting the powder keg of their feud. Fortunately, Kaya did not share his reservations.

“Nahiri!” Her yell, equal parts concerned and annoyed, sliced through the din of her surroundings. She had moved across the circle to stop the advance of the Eternals that Teyo was not shielding, but her efforts seemed inconsequential against the crush of bodies. “I don’t know what the fuck you and this guy are talking about, but you need to focus up. In case you didn’t realize, the Eternals are still attacking. Teyo and I can’t hold them off on our own, so put aside whatever bullshit is going on and help us!”

Kaya’s words hung in the air for a moment, garnering no reaction from either Nahiri or Sorin. Then, without taking her glowing eyes off her adversary, Nahiri spread wide the fingers on her free hand, holding it by her side. Her palm began glowing a vibrant orange, and as Teyo watched, he noticed similarly colored circles of light appearing on the ground beneath the Eternals. With a violent swing, Nahiri raised her outstretched hand to eye level, and an explosive _crack_ erupted from the street. A freshly hewn sword burst from each of the orange circle that dotted the cobbles, flying into the air and bifurcating an Eternal on its way. In the blink of an eye, the entire swarm fell to the ground, split bodies spilling their rotted guts into the gaps of the courtyard bricks.

Silence reigned before the Church of Orzhova. Teyo deactivated his lightshield, utterly dumbfounded by this display of power. He stared in awe at the swords suspended above his head, an armory’s worth of weapons trickling down drops of fetid blood.

_Wow, so this is what a planeswalker can do…_

He turned back to Nahiri, ready to congratulate her on a job well done. Before the words could escape his throat, however, he watched Nahiri turn her glowing palm over and point all five fingers directly at Sorin. Immediately, the floating swords pointed to Sorin, their tips bearing down on him from every angle.

“Now that the distraction is taken care of,” Nahiri growled, shattering the silence, “I can get back to finally finishing you off.”

At this, Sorin let out a small smirk of bemusement. He raised his own blade, and in a flash, it was engulfed in a roiling mass of black mana. “I was going to say the same to you. Every second I was trapped in that wall, I dreamed of the day when I would exact my revenge.”

“I haven’t thought about you since I sealed you up.”

“Pity. It doesn’t matter, though. Even if you prepared for this fight, you’ll never defeat me.”

“I’m more than ready to take you down. I thought trapping you would’ve been enough, but I guess I was too soft on my old teacher. I hope you said your goodbyes to the family on Innistrad, because you’re not leaving this plane alive.”

Watching the standoff continue to escalate, Teyo was suddenly overcome by an urge. A familiar urge that he had already felt once today, not too long ago. The urge to say something regardless of the consequences. So, even as Sorin and Nahiri poised to attack at any moment, Teyo could not help but interject.

“Nahiri, we don’t have time for this! Remember, we’re here on a mission, a mission to save all the people on this plane. You told me that time was of the essence, and I know that Kaya and I can’t do this without you. So, c’mon, drop the swords and let’s get going!”

There was a beat after Teyo stopped speaking where the entire world seemed to come to a screeching halt. He could feel Kaya’s eyes on him, but neither Nahiri nor Sorin looked up from their locked gaze. Nobody moved, nobody spoke. Teyo’s emotions started churning as he waited for Nahiri to say something, anything that would indicate her agreement. Then, he saw her mouth open, and with a hardened tone, she said:

“Sorry, kid, but this is more important than your mission.”

Teyo’s heart sank, and before he could entreat upon her again, Nahiri closed her extended hand into a fist. The swords that were trained on Sorin now flew at him, whizzing through the air with a lethal velocity. He reacted with supernatural speed, bolting forward just as Nahiri closed her hand. With his own sword drawn, Sorin parried the few blades still in his way and let the rest crash into the ground where he stood only a moment before. He quickly closed the gap between himself and Nahiri, rearing back his mana-suffused blade for a devastating attack. With only a moment to react, Nahiri raised her own sword perpendicular to the incoming strike. She was quick enough, and as Sorin lunged at her, their swords clashed. Nahiri’s lithomancy collided with Sorin’s eldritch powers, and a furious explosion swept over the immediate vicinity with an earsplitting _CRACK!_

The force of the blast knocked Teyo off his feet, sending his bottom-first into a puddle of Eternal blood. His brain reeled, desperately scrabbling to process the sudden events. It took a few moments, but his senses eventually returned, the first being the uncomfortable sensation of rotted bodily fluids seeping into the seat of his robes.

He leapt to his feet, frantically trying to wipe his clothing dry. Once his initial panic died down, he surveyed the scene. The corpses were undisturbed, as was the pile of swords now buried up to their hilts in the worked stone of the courtyard. A few feet away, Kaya was standing back up, a hand pressed against the side of her head and a pained expression creased across her face. And, to his dismay, the spot where Nahiri and Sorin had been just a moment before was now empty.

_Oh no! Did they vaporize each other with that hit?_

As he pondered this, he heard Kaya’s footsteps approaching. “Teyo, you OK? That was a hell of a blast.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. My robe got a bit dirty and my ears are ringing, but that’s about it. D-did you see what happened to Nahiri?”

“Not exactly, but I think after that hit, they both decided to take their little reunion somewhere else.” She gestured with a nod to the buildings behind them. Teyo turned and saw a meteor-sized hole though the building’s top floor. Looking past the first building, there were similar impacts present along the row of homes, tracing out the destructive path of the combatants across the rooftops and away from the Orzhov section of the city.

“Do you think we should wait for her?” Teyo asked.

Kaya frowned. “I don’t think she’s coming back. Guess whatever business she has with that Sauron guy is more important than stopping Bolas.”

A frustrated sigh escaped her lips, and Teyo internally nodded to its sentiment. He had not expected to lose any of his allies, let alone have them up and abandon their mission. He felt betrayed and hollow.

“Well,” Kaya continued, “no use crying over her. C’mon, let’s go talk to Teysa.” She clapped an enthusiastic hand against Teyo’s back, nearly sending him back to the ground. He looked to her face and saw her signature smirk beaming back at him. He did not know if it was earnest or a façade, but it brought him enough comfort that he did not care. He offered a halfhearted smile, which she seemed to accept, and the two made their way to the front door of Orzhova.

Kaya rushed ahead of him to intercept the guards. Alone for a moment, Teyo took another glance behind him at the scene they had just witnessed. The innumerable bodies, the pile of weaponry, the torn buildings above them, all hit him at once as a complex, violent portrait.

_Being a planeswalker is more complicated than I thought. Maybe I’m not ready for this stuff after all._

He let out a heavy sigh as he took in the scene. Then, he turned back to Orzhova just in time to hear Kaya exclaim: “Holy shit, I think someone drained the guards’ blood!”


	19. Dark Deal

“I think he’s finally coming to.”

“Are you sure he’s not just dead? I find it hard to believe that someone as scrawny as that could survive a hit from one of those beasts.”

“Well, I’m no expert, but judging by the fact that his eyelids and nostrils are still twitching, I’d say there’s a good chance he’s still alive.”

“Ah, that doesn’t tell us anything. Trust me, I’ve seen plenty of dead bodies that still twitched after they passed on. That could very well just be his bodily gasses being pushed out his nose.”

“Then what do you propose we do?”

“I’m glad you asked. I’ve done a lot of research, and I’ve found that there’s really only one way to see if someone is truly dead or merely pretending. You’d be surprised how many people try to fake death to avoid a little pain. I’d suggest you both step back, just in case he comes out swinging.”

“I’m not worried about a puny man like him.”

“Nor am I, but we’d best step back and let the… expert do his job, hm?”

“Ah, it’s always nice to be acknowledged. Now then, let’s see here…”

Suddenly, Dack Fayden was awake, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. He lurched up from his prone position and was overcome by a violent coughing fit. He brought one hand up to cover his mouth, while the other instinctively latched to his chest. The pain was excruciating, like being cooked from the inside out, and each heavy cough was accompanied by a thin plume of black smoke and the occasional gob of blood. His eyes watered, and his mind could only focus on the intense agony surging around his torso. But even in the throes of this torturous experience, Dack could just make out a delighted voice nearby.

“Ah, see, there you have it. That’s why I love planeswalkers, they can take so much damage and still come back for more!”

Removing his hand from his chest, Dack tried to rub the tears from his eyes, with only mild success. It was enough, though, for him to make out three figures standing in the alleyway, a few feet from the building where he had been laid out. In his semi-conscious state, he had made out three different, although hazy, voices, so he assumed they belonged to these individuals. If these were the people who saved him from the Gruul, he wanted to get a proper look at them. Focusing as hard as he could, defined shapes started to appear, and with them, his optimism evaporated.

Through tear-stained eyes, Dack saw three terrifying creatures staring directly at him. One wore an imposing black mask and a cloak that seemed to sublimate at its edges, as if it were made of pure miasma. Beside him towered a winged, horned demon whose purple skin was etched with scars that glowed like embers. With his hazed vision, Dack recognized this monster as the figure fighting Domri just before he passed out. The last one appeared to be a man-sized devil, complete with red skin, horns, and a sadistic glint in his eye. Together, they struck an almost unholy image, like the monsters Dack had heard about in children’s storybooks. He probably would have retreated, were it not for the persistent pain still searing across his chest. This was enough for him to fight against the ceaseless burn and, in between violent coughing fits, address these shady characters.

“What… the fuck… did you… do to… me?”

The devil man took a step forward, hands behind his back. “Ah, I don’t know if you remember, but you took a rather nasty hit to the head when that beast threw you against the wall. You were out cold, so I woke you up. Direct electrical stimulation to the mucous membrane of the lungs. It forces the body awake with a sudden inhalation reflex. It’s like smelling salts, only much more…painful.” He lingered on that last word, and a wicked grin spread across his crimson face.

Dack did not see the sadistic smile, however, as the devil’s words ignited a fresh outbreak of pain, this time at the base of his skull. Tremors stemming from his head rippled throughout his neck and back, forcing him to double over despite the smoldering affliction still present in his lungs. His thoughts started to swim, and he could feel his consciousness trying to slip away.

_Shit… I need to stabilize…_

Removing his arm from his mouth, Dack cupped both hands before him. They shook with the effort, so he tensed his entire body to combat his suffering. With an intense concentration, his hands steadily filled with the ephemeral draught of the Chalice of Life. Once his hands were filled nearly to the brim, he tilted his head back and swallowed every drop, desperately fighting against his urge to cough it all up. He managed to down the entirety of the elixir, and he felt the life-giving properties begin to work their magic. After a minute or so, his pain subsided. The fire in his chest was quenched, the reverberations in his skull were stilled. With his strength returning, Dack pulled himself to his feet, dusted off his pants and jacket, and turned to the three monstrous men who he may have to call his saviors. He had questions for them, but before he could open his mouth, he noticed a look of utter disappointment occupying the devil’s face.

“Ah, you just had to go and ruin my handiwork. I was rather enjoying your torment. But, I didn’t realize we were dealing with another Innistrad native, and an Avacyn devotee nonetheless.”

Dack’s mind briefly registered the sadistic comment, but it was the devil’s latter statement that truly caught him by surprise. “You think I’m from Innistrad?”

“That spell you just used, I’d recognize it anywhere. Only members of the Avacynian church wield restorative magic like that. I’m well acquainted with the Chalices. In my line of work, sometimes your subjects need to be healed. After all, you can’t torture a corpse.”

This time, Dack could not ignore the frankly evil words being spoken. He felt his face reflexively pull into a grimace of disapproval, but he thought better of it after a moment. He was not prepared for a confrontation or a retreat, so he decided it prudent to merely continue the conversation. Additionally, his curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

“Well, sorry to disappoint. I’m not from Innistrad, just a visitor who picked up a few tricks. Now, just who the hell are you all?”

“Ah, where are my manners?” The devil man put a hand to his chest in what Dack assumed was mock humility. “They call me Tibalt. Well, for as long as they can talk, that is.” He chuckled at his own macabre joke, the only one amused.

The demonic figure spoke next, taking a step forward and straightening his posture to create an imposing sight. “My name is Ob Nixilis,” he growled, “and you would do well to remember that name, flea.” His booming voice resonated within Dack’s skull, and he could not help but wonder if it was magically enhanced to frighten him. If so, it worked wondrously, but Dack did his best to keep on a stoic face in front of the demon.

There was a pause before the masked figure said anything. “Davriel Cane. Charmed.” His voice was languid, and though Dack could not see his eyes, he got the impression that Davriel was staring off as he talked. He sounded almost bored, as if the dire situation in which they were embroiled did not hold his interest.

After these introductions ended, Dack contemplated his options. He could make a break for it, or he could get some answers. As was becoming an annoying pattern, curiosity beat out preservation.

“Great,” Dack said, clapping his hands together, “and I’m Dack Fayden. Now, why did you rescue me from the Gruul?”

Ob Nixilis answered, revealing a derisive grin of razor-sharp teeth that were the color of raked coals. “We were following the Gruul, and we saw how you fared against them.” He let out a loud guffaw that practically rattled the bricks of the surrounding buildings.

“Yes, your agony was simply symphonic,” Tibalt added. “Those Gruul, as you call them, are truly masters of the craft.”

“We were more than fine with letting them do what they may and then just following them afterwards,” Davriel bluntly stated, “but they said you would be useful. So, we intervened. You’re welcome.”

Dack was taken aback by how freely the three spoke about their plans. Their tones, body language, and the unsettling details all suggested no lies were shared. He expected deceit and subterfuge, not this gruesome honesty.

_I guess they don’t have any real reason to lie about all that. I mean, they’re all clearly fucking deranged, but they did save me. They even stuck around to see that I was alive. If they had wanted me for something, they could’ve tied me up and brought me to their fuck dungeon or whatever. So, does that mean I can trust them?_

An internal sigh whiffed across his thoughts, his shoulders sagging with resignation. _I guess I don’t have much of a choice. Besides, something they said was a little off, and I’d rather get answers now if I can._

Returning his focus to the trepidatious triumvirate, Dack addressed Davriel: “Wait, back up a second. You just said, ‘they said you would be useful’, and I figure you’re not referring to these two. So, who exactly are you talking about?”

“Oh, I guess you didn’t notice,” Davriel noted with a hint of condescension. “They’re over there, gathering information.”

He waved his hand back in a casual gesture, indicating the alleyway where the Gruul had attacked. It was true, Dack had been distracted by the pain and these three daunting individuals. Now, looking over their heads, he noticed a thin plume of ash rising from the street. Slowly, Dack made his way around the edge of the alley until his view of its source was unobscured. There, in the middle of the roadway, among the upended stones and twisted corpses of the melee, sat two figures. The source of the smoke was a Gruul barbarian, seemingly entranced as his head slowly dissolved into the rising dust Dack had observed. In front of him stood a grey-skinned figure, who had a needle-like fingernail pointed into the barbarian’s forehead and a smile dancing just below the swirling black void where their face should be.

“Ashiok!?” Dack instinctively yelled out, his shocked voice echoing across the vacant alley. At the unexpected address, Ashiok looked away from their victim. When they recognized Dack as the speaker, Ashiok quickly withdrew their finger from the Gruul’s forehead. The barbarian’s head immediately disintegrated into a cloud of smoldering ash, and their body slumped to the ground with a limp _thud_. Dack let out a small gasp at the grotesque sight, but Ashiok’s minimal features remained unfazed.

“Dack,” they rasped, voice dry and crackly like a burning log, “I’m glad to see that you’ve recovered your strength.”

Ashiok took a step towards Dack as they spoke, gesturing to him with a flat palm by their side. His subconscious flared, and Dack backed up a step before bending into an offensive position. His eyes alit with arcane energy, and strands of grey light began accumulating around his head. In a flash, the light condensed into the shape of a helmet adorned with cranking gears, which fully enveloped the top half of Dack’s face.

“Don’t take another step!” he yelled out. “I’m warning you Ashiok, you better back the fuck up before I blast away what’s left of your face.”

Ashiok stopped moving forward and put their hands on their hips. They tilted their head to one side in mock confusion. “Still so distrustful after all this time. Come now, Dack, it’s been ages since we last met. Surely you’re not still upset over what happened on Theros?”

“You’re damn right I am,” he spat back. “This Helm of Awakening should keep you out of my fucking head this time.”

Ashiok’s lips twitched, a faint smirk appearing for an instance. “Oh please, Dack, do you really think some flimsy metal around your skull could keep me out? If I wanted into your dreams, I would have done so while you were unconscious.”

Dack paused, his hard stare softening for a moment. _That does make sense. Ashiok’s not one to beat around the bush if there’s something they want._ While his train of thought chugged along, Dack’s eyes wandered from Ashiok to the now headless Gruul warrior sprawled on the concrete behind them. Seeing this brought back memories of his brief stint on Theros, and the intensity of his glare returned.

He gestured with his head to the body. “Why should I trust you when I just saw you disintegrate some guy’s head? You could’ve just been saving me for last.”

“Hmm, that does sound plausible,” Ashiok mused, “but you’ve completely misjudged me. Believe it or not, I care little for the secrets in your head. If I recall, your fears are rather, shall I say, pedestrian. Lost love, abandoned home, nothing I have not seen dozens of times by now. No, I was plumbing what I could generously call this barbarian’s mind for information.”

Dack swallowed hard, fighting his desire to rip Ashiok apart at his flippant mention of Fiora and Mariel. “Oh yeah, information about what? What could a Gruul grunt possibly know that would be of any interest to you and these assholes?”

A smile broke out on Ashiok’s face, clearly pleased that Dack had taken their bait. Their voice hissed out like a charmed serpent, ready to strike: “Information on how to escape this wretched plane.”

Despite the intense equanimity in the face of an old enemy, Dack could not help but visibly balk at Ashiok’s words. Of all the things they could have said, this was nowhere close to Dack’s expectations. His concentration wavered from the revelation, and the ethereal helmet around his head vanished. Now exposed, his mouth hung open for a moment, but he swiftly regained his composure.

_With everything that’s happened today, promising me a way out would be the easiest way to convince me to help. I still don’t trust them. I can’t trust them, right?_

“You know how to get out of here?” he posited, voice thick with forced doubt. He was not sure if the tone was for Ashiok’s sake or his own, but it seemed to provoke the nightmare weaver. They held up their hands in a gesture of assurance.

“I do, indeed. When I first arrived here, I was welcomed by a small band of these Gruul. They were running amok, leveling buildings and attacking civilians with willful abandon. They certainly did not expect someone to fight back, let alone one with a planeswalker’s power. Once I was in their minds, I found some information that was most… interesting. I assume you’ve tried to planeswalk since you’ve been here, yes?”

Dack nodded tentatively. “I tried going back to where I was earlier today, but it stopped my planeswalking halfway through.”

“So, then you saw the symbol that appeared over your head, correct? The golden triangle inscribed in a circle.”

“Yeah, I saw it. It’s the seal of the Azorius, the bastards who police this plane.”

Ashiok let out a low chuckle akin to nails across stone. “You speak so confidently for someone without all the facts. According to the Gruul I investigated, the symbol is actually caused by an ancient artifact known as The Immortal Sun. It apparently has the power to bind planeswalkers to the plane on which it currently resides, and until its removal, none can leave.”

“I’ve heard of The Immortal Sun. I always thought it was just a myth, a rumor to keep planeswalkers away from Ixalan and its supposed City of Gold. You’re telling me it’s real?”

“Indeed. If my victims’ memories are to be believed, their leader spoke about it at length. It seems the Gruul are not just here to destroy the city, but to capture the planeswalkers that the Sun has trapped here.”

Dack folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah, I heard him say as much to his horde when they captured me. So, if you know all this already, why are you still tailing the Gruul?”

For the first time in their conversation, Ashiok’s smile disappeared, replaced with a reticent line across the bottom of their face. “Unfortunately, the Gruul that I found knew of The Immortal Sun, but they did not know its location. It seemed that only this Domri character held that pertinent information. It was easy enough to locate the horde, what with the noise and the smell. That’s also how I ran into these fine gentlemen.” He gestured to Davriel, Nixilis, and Tibalt, who hung on the edge of their confrontation, watching with eager eyes for either a reconciliation or a battle. “Together, we’ve been tracking the Gruul, waiting for an opportune time to get to their leader so I may extract the information we seek.”

“We almost had it,” Tibalt chimed in, “but our poor friend here couldn’t handle the little leader.”

He playfully put a hand on Nixilis’s substantial forearm. The demon glared at the grinning devil with a searing intensity, and he shook the hand off.

“Do not toy with me, imp,” Nixilis rumbled. “The boy only eluded my grasp because I was unaware of the powers he wielded.”

“You mean when he threw a bird at your face and ran off?” chided Davriel.

Nixilis ignored the jab. “When we meet him again, he will not escape my clutches. His powers are nothing compared to mine.”

Tibalt let out a sarcastic sigh. “Yeah, yeah, big guy, we know. You’ve been saying so since we found ya.”

The flood of information threatened to overtake Dack’s senses, so he held both hands in the air to signal the others. “Ok, hold on a sec. So, the only reason you all saved me is because you were trying to get to Domri? I just gave you the best opportunity to attack.”

A low, raspy chuckle emanated from Ashiok. “Quite the pessimist, are we? No, Dack, I saved you because I want you to help us.”

“What, help you track down the Gruul? Sorry, but I think you can handle that on your own.”

Ashiok shook their head, black wisps scattering about like smoke from a dying fire. “No, no, there is something in this plan that only you can do, Dack. If we’re to escape this plane, we need a way to not only find The Immortal Sun, but to remove its influence from the world. Such an artifact will most likely be too powerful for us to merely destroy…”

“…so you need me to absorb its powers, right?”

“I’m glad you understand,” Ashiok grinned. “From what I recall, your psychometric abilities should allow you to nullify the Sun, as long as you can get close enough to touch it. We can get you close enough, once we know where it is we need to go. Without your powers, I do not know if we truly have a chance. So, will you help us?”

Dack paused, his brow furrowing in contemplation. His eyes panned across the faces of his potential allies, and he still found himself thoroughly unsettled by the ghastly visages staring back at him. He let a light breath out through his nose, then turned back to Ashiok. “I still don’t know why you think I would trust you, why I would trust any of you.”

“Besides the fact that we saved your life?” Davriel piped up, not even looking at Dack.

“No, no, this reaction is quite expected,” nodded Ashiok. “I knew that it would be difficult to convince you after our previous encounter. You have no reason to believe the things I say, but I will be completely honest with you regardless. I still despise you, Dack Fayden, for the trouble you put me through on Theros. Were this another time, I would have gladly ripped open your head and let loose every twisted nightmare caged within. But this is not another time, and we must work together if we are to escape. I harbor no particular kinship for any of you, and I do not expect you to feel any towards me. It doesn’t matter. We are not friends, we are not allies. We are merely partners, working towards a shared goal of getting off this brick-and-mortar birdcage of a plane. Once this job is done, we all go our separate ways across the Multiverse and return to our lives.”

Dack was stunned. He had expected Ashiok to try and scare him into joining their cause. Met with such a brazen declaration, however, he suddenly sensed the earnest nature of their words. He turned to the other planeswalkers and saw the nodding heads and placid countenances of individuals in agreement.

“You guys are ok with this too?” he inquired. “You’re fine with working together like this?”

“Of course,” droned Davriel, masked face still averted from meeting Dack’s. “I don’t know what’s going on in this city, but I’d be more than useless in a fight. The sooner I can go home, the better. If that means slumming with the likes of you all, so be it.”

Tibalt wagged a playful finger at Davriel. “Ah, well put, friend. This plane is a drag anyway. All the fear and pain I can sense is scattered across the city. It’s way too spread out for me to enjoy properly. Besides, I was transported here in the middle of my research. I don’t know how long that witch can live without her skin, and at this rate, I’ll never find out!”

“I’ve been trapped on a plane before,” grumbled Nixilis, “and I don’t plan on letting it happen again.”

Dack’s eyes darted back and forth between the faces of the others. Over his considerable years as a planeswalker, and his even longer tenure as a thief, Dack liked to think that he had learned a lot about reading people. Between their chaotic attitudes, nightmarish appearances, and disconcerting topics of conversation, he could not help but be unnerved by their presence. Despite all this, when Dack looked at them now, he saw nothing but sincerity.

_I’m not picking up on any deception. They really are just working together to get off the plane, and they really do need my help. They did already save me. I still have a bad feeling about these guys, but…_

Hesitation gnawed at him, his brain and gut both vying to give the answer they preferred. The alleyway was silent, all eyes on him in anticipation of a response. Seconds ticked by, and eventually, Dack made up his mind. With his face scrunched in an apprehensive scowl, he muttered:

“Alright, I’ll help you out.”

Ashiok threw up their hands in excitement. “Wonderful! It’s good to see your rationality make itself known.”

“But,” Dack interjected, leveling an accusatory finger at Ashiok, “if I sense even the smallest hint of you trying to pull some bullshit, I’m out of here. I’ll help you take out The Immortal Sun and that’s it.”

“Of course, of course.” Ashiok gestured a hand to their chest. “I have no ulterior motives here, I can assure you of that. I simply want what we all want, to get back to our lives, correct?”

A chorus of agreement came from the others, their attitudes seemingly roused by the prospect of finally leaving Ravnica. Dack had planned to level his same ultimatum at the rest of them, warn them about cooking up any sort of diabolical scheme. At the sound of this tentative camaraderie, he decided to keep quiet instead.

 _Maybe this won’t be too bad,_ he silently tried to assuage his nagging suspicions. _Everyone seems ready to cooperate. They might be bad people, but they are risking their lives to do something that benefits other people besides just themselves. Plus, I can always just leave whenever I sense any shit. It should be fine, right?_

Dack’s self-assured musings were cut short, as the monotonous buzz of Davriel’s voice filled the empty air. “Well, we should probably get a move on if we’re to catch up with those barbarians again. Gods forbid we let them put any more distance between us, because I’m certainly not going to do any ‘hustling’, as you said before.”

“Yeah, this spot is dead anyway,” Tibalt agreed, idly kicking one of the Gruul corpses by his feet. “No sense mulling about here when there’s fresh meat for the cutting elsewhere.”

Dack let out a small sigh of resignation. “Alright. Are we gonna keep on this path here?”

“Not quite,” Ashiok answered. Dack looked to them and saw their hands were now exuding a thick grey fog. It billowed from their fingertips and gathered around their feet, slowly taking shape. “If we are to catch Domri, we will need the element of surprise. It was the only way we were able to save you, after all. So, we’ll need a vantage point.”

The smoke finished spilling from their fingers, giving Ashiok the opportunity to point to the rooftops above. Dack did not bother to look up, as his eyes were drawn to the beast that emerged beneath them. The smoke had solidified to reveal a shadowy creature. It resembled the merfolk Dack had seen on other planes, except its legs were replaced by a bouquet of squelching tentacles and its head matched the hollowness of the planeswalker who had summoned it. Ashiok straddled its back as it hunched forward, then turned back to Dack with a slight tilt to their head.

“Are you in need of assistance? Navigating across the rooftops isn’t easy for unaided humans. My nightmare here can skulk around any area without being detected.”

Dack paused, trying his best to keep his face neutral before responding. He felt the disgust clawing up his esophagus, both at the hideous creature and the thought of sharing a ride with someone like Ashiok.

“No, I’ve got it,” he curtly responded.

Ashiok seemed to understand the message behind his words and shrugged. “Very well.” With a quick nod forward, the tentacled beast started shuffling across the alleyway. Its speed was impressive, clearing the passage in a matter of moments without making a sound. From there, it pressed its tentacles against the adjacent building’s side and started scaling it with apparent ease.

Dack’s eyes followed Ashiok as they scuttled up the façade, transfixed by the unearthly movement of the creature. He did not break his stare until he felt someone pass by him as they moved towards the wall. Returning his attention to the ground, he saw Davriel approach the building. Before he reached it, fluctuating black energy engulfed his arms and legs. Then, he propelled off the ground like a rocket, leaving a trail of gaseous ichor in his wake.

“Would you look at them go?” Tibalt called out from behind Dack, his comment accompanied by a low whistle. “Well, big guy, I guess that’s our cue. Ya know, it’d probably be more comfortable for both of us if you just let me sit on your shoulders this time.”

Ob Nixilis growled at him. “You are not in a position to make requests, flightless one. You are fortunate that I have carried you thus far without dropping you. Do not test my charity.”

“What? It’s not like I’d sever your wing’s connective tissue to see how it feels. I mean, honestly, what do you take me for?”

“I take you for an insolent whelp. Now, I’d suggest you stop talking, unless you truly want to see how it feels to free fall onto packed stone.”

“Alright, alright. No need to get your brimstone in a twist. Just watch the claws this time, this is my favorite coat.”

There was a rush of air as Nixilis unfurled his massive wings, followed by a small yelp of surprise from Tibalt. With a powerful thrust, Nixilis lifted off the ground with Tibalt grasped in his demonic hands. Together, the pair bolted over Dack’s head to join the others on their way up to the rooftop.

As he watched his newfound accomplices make their way up the building side, an exhausted puff of air escaped Dack’s nostrils yet again. Silently, he began walking towards them while once more activating the Amulet of Tarantual. The translucent threads wound around his gloves, and he started climbing. As he neared the rooftop, the indistinct chatter of the four other planeswalkers, his partners, grew louder. He let loose a low grunt, and a single thought ran through his head.

_This has to be the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever agreed to._


	20. Time and Tide

Jace was tired, and he was getting more tired by the second. Since breaking off from the other planeswalkers for Nivix, the headquarters of the Izzet League, he had not stopped fighting. Wave after wave of Eternals still poured through the streets, allowing no reprieve for his constant projections. So far, his illusions had managed to keep him out of harm’s way, guiding the Eternals’ attacks to either completely miss or hit one of their own, with the exception of an errant axe swing that clefted his trailing robes. This had been straightforward when he was dealing with five or so zombies at once, but as he neared New Prahv, and the Planar Bridge, the density of bodies seemed to increase exponentially. Now, he found that dodging one attack put him in the crosshairs of three more. The effort alone was taking its toll on his fortitude, but Jace knew that he was capable of managing so many variables. What he could not account for, and what was truly putting him through the physical and mental wringer, was the consistently inane telepathic chatter from his two companions.

Ral and Vivien fought slightly behind him, destroying the Eternals that Jace led out of position with their considerable magics. When there were no visible threats, the three had chatted amiably to learn more about their new allies. Once the endless ranks of the Dreadhorde reemerged, however, Jace opened a mental link to convey battle strategies. He would run interference at close range, while Ral and Vivien sniped the Eternals from afar. It worked well, the three slowly molding into their roles, but with the increase in Eternals, Jace was starting to understand just how inexperienced the other two were with telepathic communication.

_I just don’t understand how you can live on such a…developed plane,_ Vivien projected with a smack of distaste. She was talking to Ral, but Jace was also subject to the conversation that neither concerned nor interested him.

Ral was no better than her, answering her in between blasts of lightning. The two had been going back and forth about Ravnican culture for most of their journey, and it had quickly spiraled from engaging to ignorable to downright irritating. _I just prefer a bit of civilization. I’m an inventor, I work with technology. Living where progress lives is the way I like it._

_There’s nothing you can learn surrounded by brick and steel that you can’t learn from nature._

 _I’m not so sure about that. I’ve never seen anything like this out in the woods,_ Ral thought as he proudly tapped his Accumulator with one hand.

_Then I suggest looking up next time it rains._

Jace could practically hear her smirk, and his face creased into an exasperated frown. Throughout this exchange, Jace had been trying to steer their attacks, but they seemed unable to hear him. Between his tired state and the multiple illusions he had running interference, his powers were spread so thin that he could not pierce through the pair’s mental static. He had just set a minotaur Eternal off balance, but with no incoming attack, the creature had time to readjust. It raised its twin swords over Jace’s head, poised to cut off both his arms in one swing. Jace winced in anticipation, but the Eternal was met with both a bolt of lightning and a shimmering green arrow before it could connect. The beast limply collapsed to the ground, a smoking hole through its chest cavity and an ethereal serpent springing from its skull.

_That was a little too close!_ Jace snapped at the others. Noticing the timbre of his thoughts, Jace paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. _Try your best to keep your thoughts clear. I can barely hear myself think with you two going back and forth._

 _My apologies,_ Vivien said, her tone conveying a strong remorse.

_Yeah, sorry about that._ Ral was nowhere near as convincing, and Jace could almost pick out a thin film of resentment clinging to his words.

Jace shook his head, frustrated. _It’s fine, just try and keep the channel clear. We’re almost at the Bridge, and then it’s a straight shot to Nivix. We just gotta get through these Eternals as fast as we can, so follow my lead, ok?_

Ral and Vivien communicated their agreement, but Jace could tell that they were not happy with him exerting authority over them. He had known the risk of grouping the three of them together. They all had the same predisposition to reject orders, to fight in their own way and call the shots when needed. They were not a harmonious group, but with Vivien’s strength and Ral’s knowledge of the Izzet, this was the best group they could get for their mission.

_It’s not their fault,_ Jace sighed, walling off his private thoughts from the others. _I can’t really complain. Neither of them are equipped for close combat, and they are stopping every Eternal they hit. I just wish they’d shut up and let me think of a plan._

At the mention of a plan, Jace’s mind lapsed for a moment as he was seized by a deep melancholy. It squeezed his chest, weighing him down like a ball and chain latched around his soul. He had been compartmentalizing it since the Gatewatch was on Kaladesh. He thought he had it under control, but since their forced arrival on Ravnica, its grip had only strengthened. Now, the miasmic force made itself known once more, and its sentiment pealed across his brain like a dirge.

_You’re just wasting time. No matter how long you think, you’ll never come up with a plan that can stop Bolas. Face it, you’re just not smart enough to save the day._

There it was again. Since he had learned of Bolas’ plans, these thoughts had been a permanent fixture in his mind, like a stain he could not remove no matter how much he scrubbed and scoured. Ever since he left Ixalan, Jace felt two steps behind. His mind seemed to be slowing down, the gears dryly scraping as they tried to turn. His plans came slower, almost too late in some cases. Before all this, Jace was confident he could have maneuvered through the crowd of Eternals and reached the Planar Bridge by now. For whatever reason, he was unable to think as quickly as he could, and the only person who seemed fit to blame was himself. Not the Dreadhorde, not the other planeswalkers, not the Gatewatch, not Liliana, not Vraska…

_Whatever, now’s not the time for this ‘down and out’ bullshit._

Before his inner voice could berate him anymore, Jace grit his teeth and crammed the wad of self-loathing into the farthest corner of his mind that he could find. He felt the ten or so illusions he was manipulating falter from the strain, allowing the Eternals surrounding him to see his true location. Luckily, he refocused before long, and the only Eternal still keyed on his position was swiftly met with an electric discharge.

 _Jace, are you alright?_ Vivien’s voice suddenly popped into his mind. Though her attention was split with firing another volley of arrows, Jace could hear a clear hint of worry in her words. _Can you still maintain all your illusions? If you need to rest, retreat around to your left and you can get behind Ral and I._

 _I’m fine,_ Jace answered, _just got distracted for a moment. It’s all good now._

 _You sure?_ Ral piped in. _You don’t need to push yourself. Vivien and I should be able to keep these things at bay so you can catch your breath._

Jace could feel a swell of anger coming, but he stamped it down as best he could. _I said I can handle it. We need to get there as quick as possible. I’ll keep setting them up, you two keep knocking them down._

Once again, Ral and Vivien offered a muted acknowledgement and resumed their artillery positions. Jace took another deep breath in through his nostrils, pushed it evenly from his mouth, then redoubled his efforts of leading the Eternals into the line of fire. As the three continued pushing forwards, the telepathic channel was free of idle chatter.

 _About damn time,_ Jace mumbled to himself. _Maybe I can actually think of something now that those two finally shut up._

Silently, they cut a swath through the ebbing sea of zombies, the only communication between them coming in the form of short, direct attack orders. Lightning and arrows flew freely, each one now hitting multiple targets thanks to Jace’s positioning. Some semblance of teamwork seemed to blossom, and it was not long before the drab street they were traveling was bathed in faint purple light.

 _The Planar Bridge is just up ahead,_ Ral reported, instinctively gesturing with his head to the outlet of the road. _I can’t see much, but if the number of Eternals here is any indication, we may have our work cut out for us once we get to the Bridge._

 _You sound almost worried,_ Vivien chided. _Our trajectory has made us fight against the current. Getting to this Nivix place should be much simpler, especially for us._

Jace was dubious, but he did not want to cloud his allies. _One more big push, and we’ll get there. We should be fine, and if not, Teferi and Sarkhan should still be at the Bridge to help us out._

 _I don’t know who that is,_ Ral replied, _but if they’re on our side, I guess I can’t complain._

Together, and with a renewed energy from their proximity to the goal, the three planeswalkers furiously fought their way through the Dreadhorde. The number of Eternals only increased as they plunged deeper into their ranks, with many now slipping past them to terrorize the city unabated. This irked Jace to no end, that his allies would let even a single Eternal past them, but his pragmatism held back any comments and focused his attention on pushing them ever forward. It was not long before a small channel appeared in the undead horde, a minute disruption in their formation that would allow passage. He informed his teammates, sent his illusions to clear the path as much as they could, and with a concerted effort, Jace, Ral, and Vivien made a mad dash for the crevice. Their speed was rewarded, as the three broke free of the pulsating crowd and landed in the open air of New Prahv.

_Oh Gods…_

This was the only thing Jace could think as he took in the truly horrific sights bathed in the purple glow of the Planar Bridge. His former office still lay in ruins, its bricks and beams now intermingled with those of other buildings that had sustained heavy damage from the invasion. Shops and restaurants he had frequented now sat in shambles. While this troubled him greatly, seeing spaces that once brought him joy brought low by Bolas, the property damage paled in comparison to the apparent deaths across the courtyard.

Bodies from all Ravnican races littered the ground. Some whole and some in pieces, but all were now trampled beyond the point of recognition by the endless advance of the Dreadhorde. The stench of decay permeated the area, making the air noxiously heavy. It took considerable fortitude for Jace to keep back the bile rising in his throat, and he could sense the same rage-tinged nausea radiating from his comrades. Fighting against his own instincts, Jace peeled his eyes from the street to survey the active scene unfolding in front of the portal, desperate to confirm his other allies had not added their own bodies to the unidentifiable corpses below.

As his eyes traced a path to the Planar Bridge, he noticed that the number of Ravnican corpses was outmatched by the number of dead Eternals. Across the courtyard, he saw lazotep-coated heads rolling separate from their bodies, limbs contorted into unnatural shapes that cracked their shells, and pools of melted lazotep that had hardened in the cobblestone cracks. Following these seeds of destruction, Jace finally beheld the mouth of the portal, and a slight sigh of relief escaped his lips.

He first saw Teferi, standing to one side of the Bridge. His staff was alight with temporal magics, casting a wide net over the portal that caused the Eternals to move in slow motion. Though he was far away, Jace could see the chronomancer’s shoulders heaving from the effort and the slump in his posture as he held himself upright with his staff.

Jace’s eyes then swept across the battlefield of slowed Eternals, and he saw two other distinct figures aiding in their battle. He did not recognize either of them, and even their garb did not remind Jace of any plane he had visited. One wore a white dress and an oversized hat that shielded her entire head, aside from a few stray wisps of snow-driven hair. They deftly wielded a sword that glowed with white mana, slicing Eternals in singular arcing swipes. The other appeared to be a woman wearing a light blue hood, with golden hair spilling out the sides. A crooked staff shone in one hand, blue energy spilling from it into the Eternals before her. Jace watched as a zombified human, sluggishly running up to the unknown mage, shrank into the form of a frog, albeit still encased in its blue mineral shell, before it could touch her.

While Jace watched these mysterious individuals fight, he also noticed a winged shadow dart across the battlefield. Casting his gaze skyward, Jace beheld a mighty red dragon sweeping the area, which he instantly recognized as a transformed Sarkhan. While the ground was secured by the white and blue planeswalkers, Sarkhan was keeping the skies clear. His toothy maw let loose massive bursts of fire, incinerating any airborne Eternals that were caught in his range and raining molten lazotep on the troops below.

This display, his allies still alive and fighting, aided by new faces, should have filled Jace with hope. Instead, he could only see the cracks and faults in their attempts. Teferi was not the only one who physically bore the toll of their extended engagement. Sarkhan’s flames, while still dazzling, had lost the sheer intensity Jace had previously witnessed. The dracomancer was also riddled with wounds, including several spear tips lodged in his wings and a mosaic of cuts across his scaled frame. The planeswalkers on the ground seemed to fair better, with only mild splotches of red blood seeping into their now-tattered clothes. Beyond this superficiality, Jace also saw the sluggishness in everyone’s movements. Even with their powers, they were struggling to keep the invasion at bay, with more and more Eternals slipping through the gaps in their attacks.

 _Shit, this doesn’t look good,_ Jace internally remarked, his thoughts erratic with worry as he tried to figure out the proper course of action. _They all look ready to collapse. We need to get to Nivix as soon as possible to alert the Izzet, but we can’t just leave them here. If they can’t hold the line, the whole city’ll go under before we even get there. Could we get to Nixiv first and send the Izzet here? Maybe, but it doesn’t seem worth the risk. Ok, I think we’ll need to jump in and help._

Jace reopened the telepathic link with Ral and Vivien ready to offer his thoughts on the current situation. Turning to his side, however, he noticed that neither of the planeswalkers were standing beside him as they had been a moment before. Confused, Jace whipped his head back to the Planar Bridge, and he saw Ral and Vivien running towards the others, arrows and lightning already flying freely.

A quick swear escaped under his breath, and Jace bolted forward to catch up with them. On his way, he opened the mental connection to Teferi and Sarkhan, careful to introduce his telepathy as delicately as possible so neither lost concentration.

_Teferi, Sarkhan, it’s Jace. I’ve got a few reinforcements with me to help control the spillage. How are things going over here?_

_You are lucky that I am indisposed at the moment,_ Sarkhan spat back. _I won’t take an intrusion in my head lightly, Beleren. Keep your mind reading as far from me as possible._

 _Glad to hear you’ve still got some energy,_ Jace glibly responded, _but trust me, I couldn’t care less about what you think. I’m keeping the channel open to help you._ This seemed to pacify Sarkhan for the moment, as he fell silent once more.

 _Thank the Gods you’re here,_ Teferi thought, his inner voice sounding strained from the effort. _We had been keeping the flow steady, but my magic is getting weaker. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this temporal field up and running._

Jace nodded to himself. _Alright, I’ll try and figure out what we can do before that happens._

 _Vivien and I will help with the Eternals,_ Ral interjected. _My Accumulator still has plenty of juice, so we should be able to slow them down more._

Sarkhan’s voice flared up again, his passion broadcasting to all. _I do not know who you are, stranger, but you should watch what you say. The dragon’s flame does not burn slow, and its flight is never hindered!_

Ral paused, faltering over his words. _Uh, sure, got it. Sorry. My name’s Ral Zarek, by the way, current Viceroy of the Izzet League._

 _Forgive him, Sarkhan,_ came Vivien’s own stoic voice, _he meant no disrespect to your strength. You’ve been here a while, can you get us up to speed?_

 _Very well,_ he huffed, attention clearly already split between flying and attacking. _The Eternals have been steadily pouring out since we returned to the Bridge. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to the damnable things. Even with the extra assistance, it’s like flying against a hurricane’s gusts!_

 _Who are the other two people helping you?_ Jace jumped in. _Is it safe to add them into the telepathic network?_

Sarkhan’s tone shifted slightly, his rough edges smoothing over just a bit. _Yes, they are allies. But, tread carefully in… The Wanderer’s mind. If you root around where you’re not welcome, they will need to scrape your remains from the cobbles._

Something about Sarkhan’s words piqued a curiosity in Jace. Between the oddly timed threat and the obvious pause before he spoke that name, as if he were about to say something else and caught himself just in time, Jace could not help but ponder the intent behind Sarkhan’s declaration. He felt it prudent, however, to save those inconsequential ideas for later, and he opened the psychic link to the two strangers.

 _What is the meaning of this?_ came a harsh voice into Jace’s mind. He sensed it coming from the hat-wearing planeswalker, and a quick glance in their direction confirmed that they had momentarily paused their attack as they sorted out what was happening. The presence of their mind instantly struck Jace as unusual. It seemed unaccustomed to telepathic communication, but it carried a level of sharpness and precision that he did not expect. _Stay away from my thoughts, monsters!_

 _Wanderer, you needn’t worry,_ Sarkhan answered. Once again, his speech seemed off to Jace, as if he were holding back his usual ferocity for some reason. _This is not the work of the Eternals._

 _Sarkhan,_ The Wanderer puzzled, _is that you? You never told me you had telepathic abilities._

 _Trust me, he doesn’t have the brains for it,_ Jace quickly stepped in. _Sorry for the sudden intrusion. I’m-_

 _Oh, you must be Jace Beleren,_ a second new voice interrupted him, which Jace assumed came from the hooded woman. Her voice was surprisingly warm given the situation, and her clear intonation told Jace that she had some practice with telepathy. _I remember your voice from your earlier message. I’m Kasmina. I tracked your message back to this spot. You’d already left by then, but these three needed some help. I must say, Wanderer, this telepathic communication is quite refreshing. My throat was starting to hurt with all the yelling._

A small spot of warmth appeared in Jace’s chest. _Well, glad to hear my message reached at least one person. So, how has the fight on the ground been?_

Before either could answer, Sarkhan roared: _Don’t think I will let your little comment slide, Beleren! I would love to see you try and mock my intelligence to my face, but I know your sheer cowardice would-_

 _Sarkhan,_ The Wanderer’s steely voice cut in, _now is not the time. Keep your focus on the skies. We need them clear, and only a dragon’s might can dominate the air._

Her words seemed to immediately diffuse the tension. Sarkhan gave a growl of approval, followed by a cacophonous surge of dragonfire ripping through the fetid air. Jace’s mind boggled at the turn of events, but The Wanderer continued speaking before he could raise any questions.

_Unfortunately, Kasmina and I have not been as effective with the earthbound Eternals as we had hoped. I can cut down several at a time, but only at close range. I’m not fast enough to patrol the entire perimeter, even with Teferi’s time field._

_And my powers are only really suited for singular targets,_ Kasmina added with a pinch of frustration. _Psychotransomatics isn’t normally used for field work._

 _Then I will help you cover the ground,_ Vivien declared. _My arrows should make short work of any errant Eternals._

Jace looked up, and though still had some distance to cover before he could reach the Planar Bridge, Vivien and Ral were almost upon it. Kasmina and The Wanderer stood near the center of the portal, so Vivien cut a path around its side, where the majority of Eternal overflow seemed to originate. As she ran, she let loose myriad arrows into the temporal field. The chronomancy did not slow her projections, and soon shimmering green bears and tigers began ripping the Dreadhorde apart.

 _If you have the ground with them,_ added Ral, _then I can help cover both above and below. Sarkhan, do you think you can fly safely in a lightning storm?_

Sarkhan’s haughty voice ripped through their minds once again. _Do you take me for a hatchling? No lightning can outrace me! Do what you must, stormmage, and I will show you why you should never underestimate a dragon!_

This time, Ral did not seem phased by the sudden accosting. _Ok, I kinda figured you’d say something like that. If I want to summon a storm that can hit the things in the sky and the ground, I’ll need some altitude. Sarkhan, can you get me to that spire over there? It looks like the tallest point left standing._

 _Consider it done,_ Sarkhan replied. With a deft flick of his wings, the draconic planeswalker started plummeting to the ground. He pulled up just before hitting the pavement below, intersecting with Ral’s path and scooping the Izzet mage up in his talons. With his cargo secured, Sarkhan sharply pulled into the sky towards the desired vantage point.

 _Good thinking, everybody._ Jace projected these words out to his compatriots, but he could not help but hear a hollowness in his own voice. He shook his head, trying to clear away whatever was causing it, and refocused on the battlefield. _I’ll keep running interference with my illusions back here. I can’t really fight them, but I can keep them off your backs for the time being. I’ll see if I can figure out a plan in case the time dilation gives out._

 _I suggest you hurry on that part,_ Teferi tersely implored. _Without any kind of rest, I don’t think I have much time left before my powers shut down._

 _If that happens,_ The Wanderer added, _we may very well get overrun. Four of us on the ground and two in the air won’t be enough to hold everything back. We’d have to retreat, give this area up and fight on the backroads._

Jace’s face pulled into a determinative grimace. _That won’t happen. You all worry about keeping these Eternals down. I’ll figure something out._

The other planeswalkers sent their approval, though Jace could not help but feel their messages’ perfunctory nature. He did his best to chalk it up to their focus on the tasks before them. Knowing that he had his own job to perform, Jace splintered off from his planned route and made his way to the ruins of the Office of the Guildpact. He quickly ducked behind a large chunk of rubble, away from the Eternals’ view. His illusions continued to roam the battlefield, diverting attention away from the others. Their perspectives, along with the telepathic sight from his allies, gave Jace the full scope of their mission. Almost immediately, he felt his mind start to ache, the pace of his breathing picked up tremendously, and a cold sweat started to coat the inner lining of his hood. He quickly retreated into his mind, closing his thoughts from the others.

 _Oh fuck, oh fuck. This is really bad. Shit, I need to think of something. Ok, just calm down for a second. Breathe._ He took a deep breath through his nose, then pushed it out with his diaphragm. _Ok, now, let’s gather the facts and see what we can do._

Through the eyes of his projections, Jace watched as the grounded planeswalkers continued to dispatch Eternals, breaking their bodies in uncountable ways. Above them, the sky had begun to darken, and a great cloud begin nebulizing as it spread across the square. A light rain started falling, peppering the ground with miniscule droplets. It was not long before the first crack of lightning shook the sky, bathing the area in brilliant light as it cleaved through the wings of an aven Eternal. After that, the bolts came sooner and sooner, slicing through airborne Eternals and obliterating those in its groundward path. Limbs and weapons flew from the subsequent explosions, littering the street with charged metal and flesh. Sarkhan kept true to his boast, effortlessly dodging between bolts and smelting any Eternals who managed to stay clear of the storm.

With the added help of Ral and Vivien, it seemed that the flow of zombies into the city was roughly halved. Despite this positive trend, Jace knew that time was not on their side.

_This isn’t bad, but it’s not a long-term solution. If Teferi can’t hold up, then that Wanderer lady is right. If we retreat, I don’t know if all the planeswalkers in the Multiverse can clean up the mess. Fuck, we need a plan._

Hunkering down in his makeshift shelter, Jace prepared to think. With his conscious thoughts split between a dozen or so illusions, along with the invisible tether connecting his teammates’ minds, he forcibly cleared a wide-open space in his brain. He could still see the events unfolding around him, and he could hear the cooperative grunts and chirps of everyone else’s thoughts, but he pushed it all to the periphery, allowing his subconscious to sort it out.

_Ok, that should be fine. If anyone needs me, I’ll know. Alright, time to get to work._

Jace let another deep breath cycle through his body, allowing the calming ebb to center his mind. He kept his eyes closed, holding his attention inward, and he began pulling variables from his vision to see what he could do.

_The biggest thing I need to work around is Teferi. I can feel his exhaustion from here. With how he feels at the moment, factoring in his advanced age and rate of exhaustion… compounded by expulsion of time magic on the body… I think we have a maximum of 10.83 minutes before he completely collapses, and that’s being generous._

The gears in his brain ground and sparked as he crunched through the numbers, their effort weighed down even more by the dour conclusion he reached. On the battlefield, one of his illusions stopped moving for a second, then was immediately dissipated by a heavy axe swing. Sensing this, Jace shook his head and tried to focus.

_Ok, ok, it’s fine. We don’t have much time to waste, but we have some time. I can do this. Ok, I need to work around Teferi’s time limit. No one here appears to have any sort of restorative spells, nor any area effects that could replace the time dilation field. Maybe Teferi could shrink the field down to conserve energy? Sarkhan and Ral seem to have the air covered, maybe they can handle it if the aerial Eternals weren’t slowed. Though Ral’s attacks aren’t directed, I think. They seem to have a striking interval of about 3 seconds, and only every fourth one hits something in the air. It’s not great… What if we cover just the legs of the ground ones? It should have the same slowing effect. No, wait, some of them have arrows. Or magic. I think I even saw one in a chariot… Maybe just cover all the ground ones. That would extend our time by about…7.14 minutes. But that’s still just a bandage, not a solution. I need to call Ajani over here to help Tef out, but we’re already at risk just having a telepathic link open. One with that radius could give Bolas unfiltered access to every planeswalker on Ravnica. Wait, what if we-_

_Jace, how’s that plan coming?_ Teferi’s haggard voice suddenly knocked against his subconscious, which he let in after a slight recognition delay.

 _It’s coming,_ he projected back, _but I need more time to figure everything out._

 _Is there anything we can do in the meantime?_ Kasmina asked in between polymorphic bursts.

 _Um…_ Jace began, but he immediately froze after uttering the singular syllable. Fragments of outlines littered his brain, and he could feel decision paralysis set in. He did not know what pieces could make a proper plan, which ones would only make things harder to figure out. He needed more time, enough time to see everything together and feel the puzzle pieces click into place. Without a full plan…

 _Jace, are you OK?_ Vivien’s voice filtered through, jogging him out of his near-catatonic state. He rapidly blinked his eyes a few times, shaking off the lingering stiffness, before answering.

_Yeah, sorry about that. Give me a sec. Ok, uh… I think… we should drop the upper half of the temporal array, Teferi. You’ll need the extra energy._

_Are you sure?_ Teferi grunted, still demonstrating a commendable level of caution despite his condition.

Jace swallowed hard. _Um, yeah, I think it’s what we need._ _Ral, I need you to increase the lightning intervals by about a half second and shift the cloud about… 4.7 meters closer to the Bridge._

 _On it,_ Ral quickly replied.

 _Sarkhan,_ Jace continued, _you’ll need to fly closer to the portal as well. Tighten your circles to catch the new overflow. Everybody else, keep up what you’re doing, but watch out for the lightning bolts._

 _Understood,_ Sarkhan nodded before tilting into the newly suggested flight pattern. The other planeswalkers echoed his sentiment, returning to their frontline tasks with a small surge of urgency. It took a few seconds for Ral to recentralize the storm’s eye and increase the lightning frequency to Jace’s specifications, but eventually the square was filled with the rapid-fire tempo of crackling electricity.

 _Ok, I’ve adjusted the cloud patterns,_ Ral reported in, sounding rather pleased with his own quick turnaround. _Ready when you are down there!_

Jace nodded his approval. _Got it. Ok, Tef, whenever you’re ready, go ahead and drop the top half of the field._

 _Sure thing,_ Teferi managed to call out through the strain. Suddenly, Jace felt the air in the streets change. Teferi retracted the upper section of the temporal field, and all at once, the aerial Eternals sprang forth like water from a blown-out levee. Lazotep-coated avens, angels, and dragons flooded the skies, diluting what little sunlight was left and whipping up a startling whirlwind with their combined wingbeats.

Jace, through the eyes of his illusions, watched the winged Eternals methodically file out of the Bridge’s top. _Shit, that’s a lot. I hope my calculations were correct. My estimates seem right. If everyone would’ve just given me more time, I could’ve…_

He forcibly cut his inner monologue off, the weight of the coalescing doubt pushing against his ribcage. There was nothing he could do about this now. He just had to watch, hope his plan worked, and try to figure out the next step.

To his utter amazement, his half-formed plan seemed to be working. The flush of Eternals was sudden, but once they exited the Bridge, they were met with either a barrage of lightning or a steady stream of dragonfire. The faster strikes hit their marks, and the greater density of Eternals allowed the discharges to arc between targets, taking multiple creatures down with a single bolt. Sarkhan could still maneuver around the lightning, picking off any stray Eternals outside the storm’s reach. He could not get them all, but it appeared to Jace that the number of Eternals escaping into the city’s airways did not change.

 _I guess parity is pretty damn good at this point,_ Jace commented to himself. _We were never gonna hit all the Eternals. Hopefully, the rest of the city can deal with them._

He quickly turned his attention to Teferi, reaching out into the chronomancer’s mind to check his condition. Jace felt the corners of his mouth turn up as he sensed Teferi’s vitals leveling out and the stress on his mind alleviate slightly.

_It’s working. I can’t believe it’s working! Ok, don’t get too excited. We’re not out of the woods yet. At this rate, we bought ourselves a few extra minutes. It’s not a lot, but it’s something. With that extra time, I can come up with a more permanent solution to our problem._

As Jace set about reorganizing his mind for the work to come, he noticed a subtle shift in his mental movements. The turning gears now glided smoothly instead of the rusty clanging to which he had grown accustomed. It quickly dawned on him that he had not felt this kind of lightness since he arrived on the plane.

_I can do this. I wasn’t sure about the half-baked plan I had to throw out, but it’s working. I guess all that second-guessing came in handy. Alright, we need an answer to this situation. Let’s see what we’re working wi-_

Before he could get to work, Jace suddenly felt an alarming sensation in the back of his mind. He grimaced, wanting to focus all his attention on planning their next moves, but he knew that he should check in. Pulling up his psychic links, Jace peered out to see what the issue was. He could never have been prepared for what he was about to witness. The color disappeared from his face, and his throat instantly dried up, as all around him, utter pandemonium had broken loose.

One by one, his illusions were trampled by the unrelenting horde of Eternals now freely pouring forth from the Bridge’s mouth. They were no longer slowed by the temporal array at all, and they quickly swarmed through the square and out into the city like a propagating virus. He frantically checked through the minds of his allies. Chaotic psychic static filtered through from various sources, a symptom of the sudden shift in the battle’s tide. It was enough for him to confirm almost everybody, except for one person. The crushing pain in his chest returned tenfold with the realization that, for some reason, Teferi’s mental connection had been cut.

Jace felt his breathing grow increasingly erratic, his mind unable to focus on what any of the other planeswalkers were doing. He clutched his hands together, knuckles white beneath his gloves.

_No, no, no, this can’t be happening. This can’t be happening! How did I let this happen!? Fuck! Not like this._

He felt his back softly knock against the hunk of rubble he was crouching behind. Huddled in the hollowed-out carcass of his former office, he had unknowingly started rocking back and forth, trying to calm himself enough to think straight. He felt the gears slip from position, clattering to the floor of his mind. The metallic reverberations were all he could hear, a fitting echo to his abject failure. Then, in the middle of his wallowing, Jace heard a dim voice in the back of his mind. It was muddled, so he unclasped his hands, wiped his face, and tried to amplify the voice as best he could.

 _Jace, where are you!?_ It was Vivien, calling out to him amidst the turmoil. He sensed her close by and moving swiftly through the Eternal’s breakneck march. He did his best to compose himself before answering.

 _I’m fine,_ he lied, _I’m hiding out in the ruins off the side of the main road, near the Bridge._

 _Ok, I’m coming to you, then,_ Vivien replied. He felt her change course and start heading his way, firing arrow after arrow to clear a sliver of a path through the undead sea.

As he waited for his ally to reach him, Jace refocused on the telepathic link with the others. _What the hell happened?_ he anxiously shouted to them. _Where is everybody?_

 _We are fine,_ The Wanderer’s voice came through, sounding preternaturally placid in this situation. _Kasmina and I have retreated to what appears to be an abandoned café. The Eternals seem more preoccupied with entering the city than hunting us._

Ral spoke up next, his words shaky with nerves, _I’m still up on the spire. From where I’m looking, this isn’t good._

 _Yeah, I know that!_ Jace shot back with an unusual amount of hostility. Hearing himself lash out, he took a pause to center before returning to the conversation. He knew what he needed to ask next, but he did not truly know if he wanted an answer. Regardless, he pushed his thoughts forward, mentally preparing for the worst. _What happened to Teferi? Why did the time field go down?_

 _I have the time mage in my care._ For the first time he could remember, Jace was ecstatic to hear Sarkhan’s gravelly cadence. _He is alive, but unconscious. I’ll bring him to you, stormcaller, so that I may continue to smite as many of these wretched creatures as I can._

Jace allowed the brief wave of relief to wash over him for a moment. Once it passed, he asked everyone: _So what happened to Teferi? He shouldn’t have just passed out yet. Did anyone see what happened?_

 _I did,_ Kasmina piped up, her previously cheery voice now mired in worry. _When one of the lightning bolts hit the ground, it blew up an Eternal with a rather large staff. The staff went flying off and hit Teferi right in the head. If I hadn’t seen that, I don’t know if Wanderer and I would’ve been able to react in time._

 _He does have a rather large mark on his forehead,_ Sarkhan added. _I can still sense a heartbeat, so I suspect he’ll recover. Though I don’t know how much good it’ll do now._

Jace barely heard Sarkhan’s additional comment. He did not need the confirmation for Kasmina’s story. As soon as she said it, Jace immediately understood. His fists tightened, and he violently severed his connection to the others’ minds.

_It’s all my fault. Me and my stupid plan! I told Ral to move the clouds closer, right in line with Teferi. I told him to make them hit faster. I knew that the lightning would hit the ground, and I knew that any Eternal hit by it would combust like that. I should have known something like this could happen. Why didn’t I see this before I opened my fucking mouth!? If I had just thought everything through, this would never have been a possibility._

The resonance of his deprecation was so loud, he did not hear as Vivien perched atop his makeshift shelter. He saw her shadow loom over him for a moment, then she slid off the rubble and crouched beside him. With particular effort, Jace pulled his face into what he hoped was his usual look of neutral inquisition. Vivien did not seem to notice anything off, as her emerald eyes darted back and forth, surveying the ruinous scene.

“We need to get out of here,” she spoke aloud, recognizing that Jace had cut off the telepathic link. Her voice was hard, but it was undercut with a delicate concern. “The Eternals will be swarming through here any minute. They won’t enter buildings, but I hardly think this place counts anymore.”

Jace took a moment to absorb the image of his hideout, and he offered a sullen nod. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Grunting, he shifted from his sitting position onto his haunches, mimicking Vivien’s predatory squat. “So, where can we go that’s not in the warpath?”

Vivien gestured with her chin to a building several meters away. “I saw Kasmina and Wanderer go over there. If you can cloak us, I will guide us through.” Her words were fast and assured, as if this were something she had experienced before. Jace could not help but feel a pang of jealousy as her confidence, but he immediately crammed it into whatever unoccupied gap his mind had left. With it gone, Jace activated his illusory magic, shielding himself and Vivien from sight.

“Ok, that should do it,” he said once the glow of his runes died down. “We’ll need to move quickly, otherwise they might just overrun us, even if they can’t see us.”

She nodded in agreement. “Then let’s move.”

Rising from her crouched posture without fully straightening, Vivien started moving ahead with feline grace. Jace followed behind as quick as he could, though a sizable gap was appearing between them as Vivien climbed over blocks of masonry that Jace could only walk around. Even with the physical exertion from the day, Jace felt unusually tired. Regardless, he pushed as hard as he could, ensuring that he was close enough to Vivien to keep her presence hidden.

It did not take long for them to clear the remains of the former Office of the Guildpact. Once he was free of it, Jace paused, taking a moment to catch his breath and surveil the square. Just as he had seen before, the Bridge continuously rippled as Eternals filed out unhindered, filling the main street and fording down all available outlets into Ravnica. Sarkhan continued to attack as best he could, but it was clearly too much for him to handle. The scene was grim, and Jace knew he should keep moving to escape as soon as possible. With this break in activity, however, Jace finally noticed a psychic disturbance that had been in his periphery for a while now. Reaching out with his powers, he found a telepathic link with Kasmina’s signature magic, and he immediately reestablished their connection.

_Kasmina, what’s going on? Are you and The Wanderer ok? Vivien and I are on our way, so just hang tight for a little bit longer._

_Oh, Jace, thank the Grand Magus you’re alright!_ Kasmina sounded surprised and relieved, and Jace chastised himself for ignoring her communique. _Wanderer and I are fine, the Eternals are still keeping out of the building. I was trying to reach you because Ral has something urgent he wants to tell you. I think he saw something._

Jace quickly moved to apologize. _Sorry about that, I lost my concentration with everything happening. I’ll find everyone else and let them back in._ Allowing his mental tendrils to slither out into the ether, Jace found the other planeswalkers and jacked them into the conversation. Feeling this sensation, Vivien, who had kept moving while Jace rested, turned around and scanned for him. Once she found him several meters away, she gave a broad gesture with her bow to urge him forward. Jace held up a hand to signal a stop, and though a look of impatience creased her features, she obliged.

 _Ral,_ Jace projected, _I’m here. What did you see?_

There was a pause as Ral gathered his thoughts. _Well, there’s something coming straight at us. Something big._

 _What do you mean?_ Jace nervously asked, already feeling a cold sweat on his brow at the prospect of another threat on the way. _Did Bolas cook up something new for us?_

_No, I don’t think this is Bolas’ doing. It looks like a… like a giant warship, and it’s got the Boros insignia on the front. I’ve lived here a while, and I’ve never seen anything like this._

Jace did not hear this last, idle thought from Ral, as his mind had started humming the moment Ral mentioned the insignia of this unknown aircraft.

_A Boros warship coming this way? Does that mean…_

His train of thought faded out as he turned his focus towards the incoming vessel. Though he could not see it, he sent a telepathic connector out as far as he could in its direction, hoping to latch onto a familiar mind. Unfortunately, his range was lacking, and his psychic abilities fell off long before they reached the ship.

_Damn, I can’t know for sure yet. It could be a trap set up by Bolas. No, no, there’s no way it’s not what I think._

He recognized that his words were not steeped in confidence, but mired in doubt that needed reassuring. As he nodded to himself, trying desperately to will his thoughts to truth, Ral’s voice crackled into his ears, now with a fresh coating of panic.

_Jace! This thing is getting close, and it looks like the front is opening. Wait, I can see something glowing inside. Do you want me to try and blast it down?_

Jace snapped back to the conversation with breakneck reactivity. _No, don’t shoot! Just get yourself and Teferi as far out of its path as you can. If I’m right, then they should be here to help._

 _And if you’re wrong?_ Ral asked.

_I’m not._

Ral paused, taking in Jace’s curt response. A small sigh escaped his breath, its sentiment echoing to Jace’s brain. _Ok, we’ll hide out around the back of the spire I’m on. If things start going south, I’ll be sure to give ‘em a nice light show._

_Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,_ Jace muttered before signing off from the communication. He was about to rejoin Vivien and tell her what he believed was happening, but before he could take a step, an earth-shattering sound ripped through the air.

Jace whipped around, his hood flying off his head with the speed. He turned in time to see one of the side streets fill with a searing illumination. Jace had to shield his eyes to see even the barest edge of the light, and within its glow, he saw Eternals disintegrate where they stood. An entire phalanx turned to ash in a moment.

_What the hell was that?_

Around the outline of his raised arm, Jace saw the light dim from the throughway. Once it dissapeared, he lowered his arm to try and get a better view of this mysterious weapon. Instead, he was met by a rush of superheated air, which washed over the battlefield and reached Jace with enough intensity to buffet his exposed face. This was followed by a cloud of dust thick enough to blind him for a moment and incite a coughing fit.

It took Jace some time to recover, to wipe the dirt from his eyes and let the burning sensation across his face die down. Once he reopened his eyes, however, he thought that the attack had truly damaged his vision. His surroundings were now bathed in shade, with only broad movements perceivable in the inkiness. A brief panic set it, but once Jace arched his neck up to the sky, he saw the true cause of the sudden darkness. Above the city skyline, Jace took in his first glimpse of the massive Boros warship as it steadily flew towards the Planar Bridge.

The vehicle was grander than anything Jace could have expected. Ral had mentioned that the ship was opening, and Jace now saw it closing its parted sides, which locked around the massive fist of the Boros. The logo glowed with white-hot light, and Jace could only assume that was the source of the blazing attack he had just witnessed. Once it was fully sealed, it looked more like a flying battlement than a ship, with a massive brick façade interspersed with aviaries, spires, and wing-like ramparts. A low hum of magic emanated from twin thrusters at its base, propelling it forward through the clouds and keeping it airborne. As it pushed forward, its enormous frame blotted out the sun, casting more of the Bridge in shadow and giving it a bright corona that seemed almost divine.

The floating fortress moved at a quick clip, and it was not long until it entered the airspace of the square. Upon reaching the perimeter of the Planar Bridge, the ship ceased its forward movement. Jace squinted to see why it had stopped, and noticed that, from an assembly of open aeries across the ship’s face, a squadron of Boros soldiers poured into the sky. In an instant, the area above the battleground was filled with the sounds of war, battle cries and weapon strikes echoing off the fallen structures below.

Jace’s eyes were transfixed by the battle unfolding above him, but not from the timely display of the Legion. Instead, his eyes desperately flitted across the skyscape, looking at every face he could find. Despite the distance, he could clearly make out the members the Boros Legion as they clashed with the aerial Eternals. He saw brilliant angels wielding emblazoned swords and armor-encased skynights perched atop majestic rocs. He even saw Aurelia, the guild’s leader, slicing through zombies on the front lines. Then, amidst the tumultuous scene, he homed in on a single familiar face. There was no mistaking the striking figure of Gideon Jura as he streaked across the sky on a snowy pegasus, reins in one hand and a blood-soaked Blackblade in the other.

Seeing his friend in the heat of battle, Jace took no time in reestablishing a telepathic connection. _Gideon, it’s Jace. Glad to see you’re alright._

 _Jace!_ Gideon practically yelled back at him in surprise. Jace winced from the volume, but he was mostly appreciative to hear the man’s voice again. _Thank the gods. I don’t see you, but I take it you’re alive and well._

_I’m alive, at least. Is it safe to assume your talk with the Boros went well?_

Jace could feel Gideon smile. _Indeed. I spoke with Aurelia, and a few other planeswalkers, and we’ve come up with a proper plan to abate the Dreadhorde. What’s the situation for you?_

Jace pursed his lips. _After you left, the Gatewatch and I found some allies and splintered off. Karn and Ajani are on the outskirts, getting civilians out of harm’s way. Chandra should be on her way to Vitu-Ghazi, and a few more are going to Orzhova. Some other planeswalkers and I were on our way to Nivix, but we got stopped here. Teferi was keeping the Bridge in check, but he’s knocked out at the moment._

 _Hmm,_ Gideon mused, _that is most troublesome. If he is in need of healing, we can take him aboard the Parhelion II for that. Boros clerics are some of the best in the city. What about you, are you injured?_

 _I’m fine,_ Jace flatly stated. _I managed to stay safe in the rubble of what used to be my office._

_Glad to hear it, friend. If that’s the case, I would suggest you continue your journey to the Izzet. We need their support if we’re to win the day._

_Are you sure?_ _We can stick around for a bit, make sure the ground is shored up while you keep the skies clear?_

_It’s taken care of. The Parhelion II is charging for another solar energy attack, but it also carries ground troops. They’ll keep the horde at bay until we can wipe them out._

Jace’s gaze fell to the Parhelion II, and he noticed a stream of soldiers filtering down from the warship’s undercarriage. A menagerie of humans, goblins, minotaurs, and elementals landed on the bricks below, prepared to lock blades with the oncoming Dreadhorde.

 _Are you sure?_ Jace implored further. _This is a big battle, and I don’t know if-_

Gideon quickly cut him off. _The Legion and I can handle this. You’re needed elsewhere. Go on. I’ll be ok._

A lump formed in Jace’s throat, one that he struggled to swallow before responding. _Ok, I’ll find the others and head out. Teferi is up on the spire to your left, and Ral Zarek is with him. Whoever you send to get Teferi, have them drop Ral on the ground so he can meet up with us._

_Of course, I’ll fly over there as soon as I can._

_Heh,_ a small laugh escaped Jace’s mind, _it’s a good thing the Legion gave you a pegasus. I can’t imagine you just running around out here would do as much good._

 _I suppose you’re right,_ Gideon conceded, his tone somewhat playful. _Aurelia picked this one out especially for me. Apparently, she had named it Gideon’s Promise._

_That’s the dumbest fucking name for an animal I’ve ever heard._

Gideon chuckled. _I wholeheartedly agree. If this battle ever dies down, I will start thinking of a more appropriate name._

At this, Jace sensed Gideon’s flight path change as he turned to intercept Teferi and Ral. He disengaged his connection to Gideon’s mind, then reconnected to the other planeswalkers. He quickly laid out the plan to Vivien, Ral, and the rest, not wanting to waste any more time before departing. Once everyone sent their confirmation, Jace cut the connections.

With his mind now silent, Jace looked over the awesome sights of the Boros’ fight. Both in the air and on the ground, the Eternals were falling at the might of the trained militia. For every Boros soldier that fell, it seemed that a dozen Eternals were put to rest. The onslaught of the Dreadhorde’s march already appeared to falter, and the Boros were regaining more and more ground as they pushed them back to the Bridge. Thanks to Gideon and the Legion, it looked like victory was once again a possibility. The scene would have filled anyone with hope. Why, then, did Jace feel so empty?


	21. Tamiyo's Journal

Journal Entry #3

Ravnica

Moon Cycle 23-18, 9681

My initial investigation of the mysterious black citadel has proven to be most enlightening. As I approached, I saw a figure standing on its roof. With the help of my spyglass, I saw that it was Liliana Vess, whom I had met previously on Innistrad (see Scroll #131, _Silver Twilight_ ). She was wearing the Chail Veil, and I could make out the faint outline of purple magic in her eyes. I suspect that she is responsible for the zombies that I encountered on my arrival and that I have seen throughout the city since.

The structure itself appears to be obsidian, and I could not make out any entrances or windows (see sketch on back of page). If it is meant to house something, there must either be a ground entrance or some manner of unlocking spell. To my surprise, the zombies are nowhere near this structure. Since they bear Amonkhetian cartouches, they are not native to this plane. If they are not coming to and from the citadel, there must be a different nexus of their origin.

I attempted to get a closer look at the building, but as I drew near, I was accosted by a flock of ravens. I must have unwittingly entered their airspace. They seemed rather ornery at the disturbance, and I suspect the black structure disrupted their usual habitation. I tried to appease them with a sample of my Oboron rice cake (thank goodness I packed lunch before this abduction), but they did not seem to enjoy it. I’ve never seen any creature turn down Genku’s cooking before! I received a rather nasty bite on my hand from one of the birds, which I have since treated and dressed. Once I moved out of their way, they flew off, possibly in search of a more palatable meal. I will reserve further observations of the citadel until nightfall. The ravens should be asleep by then.

For now, I will move on and observe the odd dragon statue at the city’s center. I do not recall that from my previous visits to the city, and the stonework does not conform to my notes on Ravnican architecture or artistry. Hopefully, I can get close this time without being attacked.

Journal Entry #4

Ravnica

Moon Cycle 23-18, 9687

I have stopped several meters from the statue so that I may observe from a distance. The airways around the statue seem mostly clear of avian interference, so I will approach after an initial observation. I now see that the statue is not of just any dragon, as I previously thought, but of the Elder Dragon Nicol Bolas. I have heard much about him from Ajani, a member of my Story Circle. From what I’ve been told, I can assume that Nicol Bolas is responsible for the newest structures that I’m observing. I have been told his presence is unmistakable, so since I have not seen or sensed anything that powerful, he must be laying low for the moment. This would also mean that Liliana is under his employ, though I am unsure of how such a partnership came to be. I suspect the citadel may have the answers I seek.

As for the actual statue, my initial hypothesis was correct, as this type of stonework is not native to Ravnica. The base of the stone seems to have been drawn up through the ground, as if raised from somewhere else. I had not realized earlier, but it is sitting in what was once the Transguild Promenade, a neutral zone where, if my memory is correct, such a structure would not be permitted.

It appears to hail from Amonkhet, much like the clothing and weapons I have seen on the zombies. The question remains, then, of how all these creatures came from Amonkhet to Ravnica in the first place. Planeswalking is still impossible at the moment, as I mentioned in Journal Entry #2. I have not observed any behavior in the zombies that would lead me to believe they are planeswalkers, so I do not believe they came here by the same means as I (Note: I need to look into the source of my abduction. Perhaps the citadel is housing the person or device responsible…). If it is neither through planeswalking nor the citadel, then the only place left to investigate for the zombies’ appearance is the glowing structure I mentioned in my initial survey of the city. I suspected it was a portal of some sort, and the evidence thus far seems to support my claim.

After looking over the statue once more, I have noticed something peculiar at the top. There seems to be something moving around on the statue’s snout. Using my spyglass, I am seeing a small, bipedal creature, no more than a meter tall. I think it has green skin (possibly brown), pointed ears, and a single eye. It is pacing back and forth across the statue’s head, and it seems to be very nervous. Occasionally, it looks over the sides of the statue. I wonder if it is trying to get down, or perhaps it is merely watching the scenes below.

Oh, I think the creature has spotted me! Yes, it is waving to me with both hands now. Since I was already going to get a closer look at this Nicol Bolas statue, I will see what this frightened creature wants.

Journal Entry #5

Ravnica

Moon Cycle 23-18, 9691

Having concluded a thorough investigation of the Nicol Bolas statue, I can confirm that it originated from Amonkhet, based on the materials used (green limestone, gold adornments) and artistic style (imperfect smoothing, sharper facial features, inscription at base in Amonkhetian runic language, etc.). The carving is fresh, with a lot of seemingly rushed details, which I have diagramed on the back of this scroll alongside a sketch of the statue. I would assume, then, that the statue was created recently. If I did not know any better, I would say it was made today.

After my inspection, I went to the statue’s head to see why that odd creature was hailing me. As it turns out, he is a homunculus native to the city (note: Ravnican homunculi differ from Alaran or Innistradian homunculi. See Scroll #19, _Construct or Conscience_ ). His name is ~~Fibblethip~~ Fblthp (see Scroll #19 for proper homunculus naming conventions. Fblthp is unlettered, so he was unable to spell his name for me), and he hails from the New Prahv section of the city. That is Azorius territory, and though he claims to be affiliated with the guild, he does not seem to be a typical lawmage or arrester. He bears no clothes or markings of the Azorius, but based on his demeanor, I have to assume that Ravnican homunculi do not normally wear clothing. I will provide a sketch of Fblthp on the next scroll for reference.

As for why Fblthp tried to get my attention, he needed my help to get down from the statue. Apparently, he has a fear of heights. When I asked why, then, he would decide to climb a statue, or even how such a small creature could do so, he said that he did not know. In his own words (which are very few and hard to understand. The homunculus speech patterns are most intriguing, I will have to investigate them further once this is over), he has a tendency to get lost in the city without realizing it, eventually popping up in most unexpected places. He is extremely distraught by this, understandably so, but I found my curiosity piqued by Fblthp’s predicament. According to him, he has been all over the city and seen almost everything it has to offer. I have been to Ravnica before (see Scroll #37, _The City of Guilds_ and Scroll #66, _The Dragon’s Maze_ ), but this kind of first-person account of daily life across the plane seems like a perfect opportunity. I asked Fblthp if he would be willing to share his stories with me, and he agreed to tell me once he was safely back home. Luckily, his home is very close to the portal that I wanted to observe next. I told him I will take him home after I look into this, and he seemed amenable to this (I believe I heard something about watering the Grand Magister’s plants). So, now I will escort Fblthp home after an investigation of the portal.

Journal Entry #6

Ravnica

Moon Cycle 23-18, 9693

It seems that my timing is even more serendipitous than I thought! After setting my agreement with Fblthp, I picked him up from the statue’s head. He seemed uncomfortable with riding on my shoulders, since he would be unfastened while flying, so I have made room for him in my scroll bag. Luckily, he does not take up much space, and he promised to not disturb any of the papers. I was sure to move the important scrolls to the side pockets, just in case.

Once he was comfortable, I turned away from the statue to head over to New Prahv. Not ten seconds after I start leaving, I hear something crash into the statue behind me! I was afraid somebody was firing something at us and simply missed their mark. I turned around just in time to see a most peculiar sight. The impact kicked up a sizable cloud of green dust from the statue’s newly pulverized surface, but once it cleared, I saw that it was not some wayward projectile that had crashed into Nicol Bolas’ snout, but two planeswalkers. And not just any planeswalkers, but two that I recognized. It was Sorin Markov and Nahiri, both of whom I met during my most recent sojourn to Innistrad (see Scroll #131). I suppose this confirms another recent hypothesis: I am not the only planeswalker to be ripped from across the Blind Eternities today.

When I first realized that it was two individuals that I knew who had smashed into the statue, I moved to greet them. I was hoping to ask them about what they had seen and felt so far today. I was especially interested to talk to Sorin, since I, when last saw him, he was completely encased in stone. However, once I saw their faces, I knew I should stay quiet. They both looked extremely angry, certainly not the right mood for me to interview them. I also noticed that both were covered in wounds, mostly fresh and still dripping. So, I felt it prudent to stay quiet and simply watch from afar.

That turned out to be the smartest decision I could have made. After the initial shock of their “landing” wore off, Sorin and Nahiri began attacking one another. Their relationship from my previous encounter was contentious, so I must assume that this is a result of those very same grudges. Sorin made the first move and attacked Nahiri with some kind of glowing red magic, which I would guess to be sangromancy, a common type of spellcraft among vampires of Innistradian descent. It latched around her and began to siphon her energy, seemingly draining her own reserve of mana. She swung her blade to sever the spell, but it did not work. Before too much of her energy was stolen, however, she used her lithomancy to raise a portion of the statue’s surface. It caught Sorin in the pelvis with enough force to send him stumbling back a few steps and disengage his attack. Nahiri did not hesitate and rushed in with her sword. Sorin recovered in time, managing to catch her blade with his own (note: Sorin appears to be wielding The Parasite Blade, though I recall it returning to Olivia Voldaren’s possession after my last encounter. I wonder when he got it back…). My ears are still ringing from their clash.

After their swords locked, Sorin kicked Nahiri in the stomach, which created some distance. Sorin then rushed at her head-first. She did not react in time, and he caught her in the chest with his shoulder, pinning her sword-wielding hand to her side. That hit sent them both flying off the statue’s head, but not before slamming into one of the horns and dislodging a chuck of masonry. They seemed to keep fighting in midair, and I believe I saw Sorin bite Nahiri her abdomen _through_ her leather armor. I watched their trajectory as long as I could, but I lost sight of them somewhere over the Rakdos sector of the city.

Once they were gone, I expressed my intrigue to Fblthp, only to realize that he had hidden away in my scroll bag for the brief duration of the scuffle. He seems rather worked up at the moment, so I will try and figure out a way to calm him down on our way to New Prahv.

Journal Entry #8

Ravnica

Moon Cycle 23-18 9715

We have nearly made it to New Prahv, but I have halted my progress for the moment. Fblthp had continued telling me about his week at the Juri Review as we travelled, but I think it prudent that he pause his story now that the odd portal is within observational distance (which is a shame, as I am most curious to hear what this Exava character had planned for two hellsteeds, a bundle of razorwire, and a stolen vat of Simic mutagen). I have retrieved my spyglass from the bag, and after a thorough cleaning of the lens (it seems that, while Fblthp enjoyed the lunch that Genku prepared, he is not the cleanest of eaters), I will begin my initial investigation. There appears to be a storm brewing over the portal, but it should not interfere with my ability to observe the scene.

I can see now that the portal is just that, as I can see the zombies exiting from it into the streets. Though the façade appears purple at a distance, I can now see the plane of Amonkhet from the other side. Remarkable! I was not aware that such a device existed, something that can transport non-planeswalkers between planes. I would love to talk to the inventor of this wondrous technology, but if it is being operated to usher zombies onto Ravnica, I doubt they would be willing to answer my questions. I am guessing the device is not completed, though, since the zombies exiting the portal seem to move at a slowed rate. Perhaps it is from the time displacement between planes…

It seems that the portal cut through the surrounding buildings when it was established, so I surmise it came about around the same time as the citadel and the statute. I asked Fblthp if his home was still intact, and once I loaned him the spyglass, he said that he could still see it standing from here. He sounded quite relieved, so I guess he was not home when the portal arrived.

Though the square around the portal is mostly occupied now by these zombies, I can several non-zombified individuals fighting against them. In the air, there is a red dragon, but it curiously has the facial structure and flame incandescence of a Tarkirian dragon (see Scroll #75, _Draconic Codex_ ). On the ground, I can see several mages engaging in combat. Most are utilizing ranged attacks, which seems safer, but I also see one using a mana-diffused blade. Their clothing seems to pull from various other planes I have visited, so I suspect these are more planeswalkers. I suppose some feel the need to fight against the threat. I will try and interview them on their experience once this is over.

Oh, I have identified one of the planeswalkers as Jace Beleren (see Scroll #131). I should not be surprised that he is here, and I can only assume the rest of his organization (Plane Watch? The Floodwatch?) is around as well. Perhaps all these planeswalkers are new recruits. Hopefully they know that Liliana Vess is the one controlling the zombies.

While I was proceeding with these observations, it seems Fblthp made some of his own. He alerted me to a presence behind us (nearly tugging my ribbons off in the process) that seemed to scare him. I turned to see a warship descending from the clouds and bearing directly towards the portal. It has the seal of the Boros on the front, so I am guessing it is some manner of troop transport, though it appeared over the Simic section of the city. It will be upon us soon enough, so I should find a new vantage point so as not to interfere with the proceedings.

Journal Entry #10

Ravnica

Moon Cycle 23-18, 9731

As the battle in front of the portal continued to unfold (the Boros seem to be winning at the moment. They’ve pushed the advancing zombies back towards the portal and somewhat cleared the skies), I suddenly sensed something new. It felt as though a shadow had just fallen over the city. I couldn’t quite pinpoint the sensation, but it seemed to originate from the black citadel I investigated earlier. I asked Fblthp if he felt this, but he said that he did not.

I flew to a better vantage point, and with my spyglass, I turned to see if anything had changed. I looked just in time to see that, on the top of the citadel, a large aperture had opened in its center. It looks like something is coming out of the structure. It appears to be a large gold dragon. If I’m not mistaken, that must be Nicol Bolas. I suppose this rather frightening aura is his doing. I cannot believe that this kind of power was being shielded by that black structure this whole time. It’s utterly fascinating.

Upon further observation, Nicol Bolas appears to be channeling some kind of magic spell from the citadel’s rooftop. I do not recognize what kind of magic it is, but it appears to be very old. Perhaps this is what Elder Dragon magic looks like? I will need to get closer if I am to make more thorough observations. I asked Fblthp if he would be okay with the slight detour. He seemed hesitant, but after a promise of preparing him some more Kamigawa cuisine once we’re back in New Prahv, he acquiesced. I’m glad, as this is sure to be the first written report of an Elder Dragon for the archives. The tower keepers should be most pleased.


	22. Everlasting Torment

To Dack’s surprise, he was somewhat enjoying himself. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, nimbly ducking out and around of balconies and high-altitude gardens, streaks of noontime wind rushing through his hair and putting color on his cheeks. This was what he lived for, the freedom to do what you like, without thinking about anything but where your feet need to land. The pace was frenetic, but it brought a serenity to Dack’s fraying nerves. The only thing spoiling the urban playground was the incessant chatter from his newly-minted allies. Ashiok and Davriel both understood that this was pretty much a stealth mission and kept their mouths shut, but the other two…

“You are an even bigger fool than I first thought,” Nixilis bellowed to Tibalt, still hanging by his armpits in the demon’s grasp. “She may have passion, but she is weak. She would fall to pieces within five seconds. His perseverance is the only choice.”

“Oh, Nix, buddy,” Tibalt playfully tutted, “you’ve got is all wrong. You ever see her in action? She never gives up, I tell you. The fire, the initiative. It’s all right there, plain as day.”

“You know nothing of strength, so I should not be surprised. Only you would be so blind as to the importance of invulnerability.”

Tibalt let out a small hiss, as if he had been stung. “Geez, I don’t know who the real torturer here is. Fine, you stubborn pile of scales, let’s see what pretty boy has to say.”

Dack’s concentration, already wavering from the two hellish planeswalkers talking right beside him, was shattered by an ear-splitting whistle from Tibalt, accompanied by a high octave call, “Hey, Dacky!”

He turned his head just enough to put the pair into his periphery, still focusing most of his attention on his rooftop acrobatics.

“You do realize that we’re trying to sneak up on the Gruul, right?” he hissed at them.

Tibalt idly waved a dismissive hand at him. “Ah, those barbarians are still too far away for us to see ‘em, so I doubt they can hear us. Anyway, help me and Nixy hear settle an argument, will ya?”

“I’d rather n-” he started to protest, but it seemed that Tibalt’s request was really more of an order.

“So, Dack, if you had to fuck one member of the Gatewatch, who would it be?”

“Um…” Dack opened his mouth, ready to oppose the inanity and the sentiment of their conversation, but Tibalt continued on without letting him interrupt any more.

“Y’see, there’s only one viable option, and that’s that fiery little redhead. I saw a glimpse of their exploits on Innistrad, and it’s really no contest. She seems to be the only one of them who knows how to have a good time. That, and the torment that radiates from her is simply divine. I can just imagine the fun I could have with someone like her.” Here, the devil’s grin twisted into a sinister crescent, revealing his sharpened teeth.

Nixilis pushed a condescending puff of air through his nostrils. “Feeble words from a feeble man. Nalaar is petulant and weak. She would probably collapse and wither away before anything could occur. The only one of their pitiful lot with any worthwhile strength is Gideon Jura. I have sworn revenge on them all, but Jura is the only one worthy of it.”

“Oh please,” Tibalt rolled his eyes, “that guy looks about as fun as church service at dawn. What’s the point of doing anything with someone who can’t really feel it, you know what I mean?”

“You care only of pain, a puerile fascination. True pleasure lies only in conquest. With your stature, I can see why you would have no experience to understand this.”

Nixilis let out a low rumbling laugh, while Tibalt held up his hands in indignance before turning back to Dack. “You see what I’m working with here, right? I just hate to see someone who won’t give up, even when it’s the clear choice. So, Dack, what do you say, hm? Any insight to share so this winged tar stain can finally admit defeat?”

Dack’s face pulled into a grimace. He paused, taking a moment to ensure that his words would indicate just how little he wanted to be involved in this conversation. “Well, first off, I have no idea who you two are talking about. Second off, do you really think now is the best time for a discussion like that?” He quickly snapped his head back to the path ahead, hoping that would be enough of a signal to leave him out of it. Apparently, it was not.

“Well you’re a lot of fun,” Tibalt called back to him, tone playfully barbed. “You don’t know the Gatewatch, fine. How about you tell us about where you’re from? I’m sure there’s plenty of ripe fruit there, and you seem like the tree-plucking type to me.”

“I’d rather not,” Dack firmly stated, not even turning to address Tibalt. Unfortunately, Dack’s curtness only seemed to stoke Tibalt’s coal-black heart.

“Ah, a touchy subject, I take it,” he prodded. “What’s the matter, hm? Been a long time since you’ve been to the well?”

“Perhaps he has never been,” Nixilis added on with a guffaw.

Tibalt wagged a finger up to the demon holding him. “Ah, now that’s a possibility, but our dear friend Dack here seems like the kind that gets all sorts of attention. I bet he has someone at home waiting for him to come back. Or maybe, he did.”

A bolt suddenly ripped through Dack’s chest, nearly causing him to lose his footing on a dew-slicked eave. Luckily, he caught himself in time, righting his balance and propelling ever forward. Up until then, it had been simple to ignore Tibalt’s words. They fell from his back like drops of rain from a grass blade, but this jab was more like lightning striking at his heart.

_This fucking guy, I swear… There’s no way he knows about Mariel. It was just a lucky guess, that’s all. Just gotta keep it cool. No way I’m giving that red-skinned bastard the satisfaction._

Keeping his face turned away from Tibalt and Nixilis, Dack started taking in slow, deep breaths to quiet his plucked nerves. He did not finish one, however, before the devilish planeswalker’s voice crackled into his ears once again.

“Ah, I knew it! Lost love, is it, Dack? See there, Nixy, our new friend is holding out on us.”

What was meant to be a calming breath suddenly became a choking hazard, with Tibalt’s words causing his throat to seize around the bubble of air and force out a sputtering cough. He took a moment to clear his throat before addressing Tibalt, still refusing to turn and look at him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said coolly, hoping that his demeanor was enough of a bluff to stymie the devil’s interest. Out of the very corner of his eye, Dack saw Tibalt slowly shake his head and click his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. No sense in lying to me, mate. I could feel your reaction as soon as it happened. The torment, the anguish, mmm. Perhaps not the richest I’ve sampled, but satisfying nonetheless, like a stiff shot of Nephalian whiskey. She must’ve been someone real special to you, at least until… y’know.”

Nixilis offered a derisive humph. “Pathetic. Mourning is a useless endeavor. Only the weak focus on the past, the strong look towards the future.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, buddy. Not all of us got a heart of pure obsidian like you. I’m sure Dack still dreams of her. Every night, probably, though I bet the features grow dimmer with each passing day. I bet you can still hear her screams, too, calling out for help that’ll never come.”

“That’s enough!” Dack finally snapped, tearing his eyes away from the rooftops. His face contorted into a portrait of fury, and it was met by Tibalt’s own look of absolute glee. “Another word out of your mouth and I’ll send you right to hell. I’m sure you’ll fit right in.”

Dack’s threat only seemed to entice Tibalt, his off-putting grin growing wider and sharper. “Now, now, Dack, no need to get so upset. Just having a bit of fun, is all. We’re all allies here, aren’t we?”

“I don’t care,” Dack bluntly stated. “I agreed to help because Ashiok said they needed me. As far as I’m concerned, I could wipe you from existence and we’d be better off for it.”

Tibalt lowered his gaze slightly, his face now bearing a dubious glower. “I very much doubt any pain you could inflict would register to me.”

Nixilis laughed. “You two scrawny specimens attempting to fight to the death? Now that would be entertaining.”

“Ah,” Tibalt continued, ignoring his compatriot’s insult, “but you are a feisty one, Dack. I love the reactions, the sheer passion of it. I’m sure that’s what your little tart back home used to love about you, too.”

Dack snapped. Rage began to boil over as he stared into the taunting crimson face of his tormentor. All his focus zoomed to Tibalt and just what artifact Dack should summon up to deal the most damage to the smug pest.

“You little, fucking…”

With his mind clouded over, Dack did not have time to register that the rooftop he was striding over was quickly ending. He took one step as he started his insult, only to be cut off as his foot swept through the open air and the rest of his body followed quickly behind.

_Oh shit!_

The anger clouding Dack’s mind vanished, and his roguish instincts instantly took over as he began plummeting to the alleyway below. Without hesitation, his eyes flared to life with swirling gray magic, and his shoes quickly followed suite. The mana solidified around his feet, stretching and growing until his practical brown slippers were replaced with silver, winged sandals. Once his new footwear fully materialized, Dack sent a swift kick back against the building’s side. His momentum instantly changed, and he rocketed back up through the mouth of the alley on rapidly fluttering feet. As soon as he was above the rooftops once more, he let the sandals disappear, landing on the shingled surface with light _thud_. There to greet him were Tibalt and Nixilis, both in the throes of laughter.

“Ha ha, I thought you did not know how to fly,” boomed Nixilis. “Once you fell, I assumed we would be peeling you from the streets.”

Tibalt flicked just under his eyes in a mock gesture of wiping away tears of mirth. “Ah, that would have been something! I haven’t done much research in falling damage, you could’ve been an excellent test subject, Dack. Oh well, I’ll settle for that moment of fear when you realized your foot missed the roof. You’re a regular font of anguish and I am loving it.”

“Would you two just shut up already!?” Dack tersely asked. “Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you? I can see you’re practically getting off on torturing me, what the fuck did I do?”

The pair’s laughter died down, and Tibalt held up his hands to Dack. “Oh, come now, Dack, no need to be like that. It’s all in good fun.”

“Fun for who, exactly?” Dack quickly retorted.

Tibalt’s grin twitched up. “Why, fun for me, of course. There’s nothing better than inflicting a bit of suffering. If I had my way, I would’ve said all those things while you were strapped to a table with your organs getting some much-needed fresh air, but I make do with what I have. We are allies, after all. We’re all on the same team.”

Dack could feel his temper rising, Tibalt’s evil words burrowing under his skin and stoking the furnace of his emotions. It took a fair amount of control for Dack to keep his voice level. “I am not your ally, and I am not on your team. You and I couldn’t be further from that, and you’d do well to keep that in mind.”

“Don’t prod him too harshly, imp,” Nixilis sarcastically warned, “he might be an even match for you. Like two starving children fighting for the last slice of bread.”

Tibalt looked up to give Nixilis a playful wink. “You don’t have to worry about me, Nixy. I know I could take him, but there’s no need for that right now.” The devil turned back to Dack, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “You may not see it, Dack, but we are on the same side, and closer than you may think. You’re just like the rest of us, helping out because you want to go home and leave all these poor fools behind. That, and fighting against these Gruul fellows poses no true risk. We’re more alike than you may care to admit, friend.”

At that moment, Dack’s blood reached its boiling point. His face felt flushed, and he had not noticed how tightly his teeth were clenched. He was normally a laid-back guy, ready to simply go with the flow, but there was something about this red-skinned instigator that pushed his buttons harder than he had ever thought possible. Suddenly, Dack’s eyes alit with magic, his fists balled, and he started advancing on Tibalt. He had several weapons stored away in his psychometric archives, any of which would suit his needs perfectly. He did not get a chance, however, as his second step forward was interrupted by a familiar rasp.

_Are you all quite finished?_

Ashiok’s voice pierced through their minds simultaneously, the psychic projection bringing their confrontation to an end. Dack’s emotions shifted from anger to discomfort, as Ashiok’s presence in his mind made it feel as though a colony of ants were crawling through the wrinkles of his brain. This was not helped by the addition of Tibalt’s own voice in response.

 _Ah, come on, Ashy. Why do you have to spoil all the fun?_ Though Tibalt’s thoughts carried his usual snide intonation, the grin had practically flipped on his face in disappointment.

 _I thought I told you to stay out of my head,_ Dack hostilely added.

 _You’ll forgive me,_ Ashiok readily responded, _but this is the easiest way to communicate in our present situation. It’s a minor telepathic projection, with no intrusion into your thoughts. As you’ll recall, I have more important things to worry about than your paltry fears, Dack._

Dack could not argue against Ashiok’s response, but he still felt uneasy having the dream render anywhere close to his thoughts. His did his best to push against his reservations and take Ashiok at their word.

 _Ok,_ he answered, _so why are you talking to us now?_

Nixilis spoke up after Dack. _I would like to know that as well. There had better be a good reason for you to taint my mind with your presence, dream-mage._

Though Ashiok was out of sight, Dack could almost feel the smirk appearing on their face. _Oh, there most certainly is. Whilst I was listening to your… enlightening conversation, Davriel spotted some unusual activity in the streets ahead. I suggest you all hurry to our position._

Dack recoiled as Ashiok clipped the telepathic link, which was accompanied by a tingling sensation, like someone had snapped their belt at the base of his skull. He reached a hand up to the back of his head, fingers gingerly brushing over his injury from earlier. A sigh fell from his lips, and the pain steadily receded. Once it was gone, he looked back to Tibalt and Nixilis, still hovering in the air before him. Ashiok had thoroughly dissolved the tension between them, but it was not enough to completely pacify Dack. His hard stare was returned by Tibalt’s own fiendishly wry one, but the wickedness in his smile was no longer in full force.

“Well,” the devil began, “you heard the abomination. We’d better head over and see what those Gruul have cooked up for us.” Tibalt turned his gaze up to Nixilis. “C’mon, big guy, let’s get a move on.”

“Did you just give me an order?” Nixilis growled, to which Tibalt merely shook his head and let out a low chuckle.

“No, Nixy, it was just a suggestion. You fly at whatever pace that lump of coal between your ears thinks is best.”

Nixilis heaved a mighty sigh. “It would be so much easier to simply throw you the rest of the way, were you not so frail.”

Without another word, Nixilis beat his wings and pushed off from his position, bolting across the buildings at a breakneck pace. Dack quickly followed them, employing his acrobatic acumen to leap over the rooftops at a quick clip. While he strode to catch up, Dack’s mind could not help but wander to what Tibalt said just a minute before.

_What a load of crap. We’re nothing alike. I mean, yeah, I didn’t really want to help out here, but that just comes with the planeswalker territory. Not every fight is mine. And yet here I am, helping out because they need me. Fuck Tibalt. He’s just trying to get a rise out of me. Can’t believe I actually gave him what he fucking wanted. Once this is over, I can’t wait to never see any of these assholes again._

It was not long before the shadowy figures of Davriel and Ashiok became visible. They were crouched beneath the raised wall of a rooftop several houses down, with Ashiok now peering just over its edge. The roof was occupied by multiple clotheslines, each filled with damp garments left to dry. While Davriel and Ashiok had taken care to avoid them, Dack saw Nixilis fly straight through the lines, their meager tensile strength no match for his jagged carapace. He and Tibalt landed just short of the others, after which they joined them in their hunched position. Dack was the last to arrive, carefully stepping around the scattered linens that now littered their perch before settling in with them.

“Ok,” Dack whispered, “so what are we looking at here, exactly?”

Davriel turned his masked face to him. “They can’t hear us up here, you know.”

Dack pursed his lips in annoyance at the smarmy comment, but he elected to simply clear his throat and ignore it. “Alright then,” he said in his usual register, “Ashiok said you spotted something in the streets. Did we finally catch up to Domri and his brood?”

“It does not appear so,” Ashiok hissed, voice tinged with disappointment. “There are Gruul, but I could not see Domri among their ranks this time. It seems they have split their forces. Though feel free to look for yourself, Dack. Perhaps I missed something that your eyes may yet see.”

“Doesn’t take too much to have better eyes than you, Ashy,” Tibalt chided, which elicited a snicker from Nixilis. Dack saw Ashiok’s thin mouth twitch, but they also elected to stay quiet in the face of the pest.

While the others stayed back on the roof, Dack waddled into a position where he could peer over the uneven brickwork. The street came into view, looking roughly the same as where he had first encountered the Gruul, save for the lack of blood and bodies strewn about. Instead, its only denizens were a small group of people in its center. From this distance, Dack could not make out many details, but the fact that there were two horned beasts standing nearby made him certain that these were members of the Gruul clan.

 _I wonder why they separated from the main pack,_ Dack silently pondered. _Maybe their trying to tear up the street stone by stone, like Domri said…_

Summoning his psychometric abilities, Dack cupped both of his hands and held them before his right eye, one after the other. A shimmering lens of sorcery appeared at either end of his hands, amplifying his sight and allowing him to see just what was happening below.

As the small detachment came into focus, he counted five Gruul barbarians among them, easily distinguished by their scant clothing and filthy faces. Two were perched on the riding beasts, which Dack now identified from his previous encounter as kronches, while the others stood in the streets. This did not strike Dack as particularly strange, but what did were the figures accompanying the Gruul. Besides the barbarians, Dack counted ten or so figures that he did not recognize from his former trips to Ravnica. They appeared almost skeletal, with sunken features and gaunt figures, but they were blue and covered with unfamiliar ornaments.

_Those don’t look like Golgari zombies, but then whose zombies are they? I guess those sewer freaks could’ve updated their necromancy since my last visit. It looks like their working with the Gruul, so it’s not too far-fetched. Why are they all just standing around in a circle in the middle of the street? What are they…?_

Dack’s question was not fully formed in his mind before he got an answer. The odd assortment of Gruul and undead were not moving much initially, but he watched one of the Gruul step into the circle with her club drawn. This gap gave Dack a view to the center, where he saw the barbarian’s club swing across the face of a hulking figure kneeling before her. This one was perhaps the strangest one among the crowd, his stocky build topped by the massive head of a bull. Though the bovine features were slightly obscured by a litany of blood and bruises, he seemed to emit an orange glow from his flaring nostrils and frothing mouth. His arms were bound to his side by chains that wrapped around his torso and led back to the hands of two zombies on opposite sides of the perimeter. The chains, along with the cobbles just around the minotaur, carried a thin veneer of blood.

After the first club swing cracked across the minotaur’s jaw, Dack saw him spit directly into his captor’s face, adding a fresh splotch of red to her already smeared war paint. This seemed to raise her ire, and she reared back the club for another swing. Before she dealt another blow, Dack disengaged his spyglass and turned to the others.

“It’s not just the Gruul down there,” Dack reported.

Davriel responded in a listless half-yawn. “Yes, we’ve already seen that. There are also some zombies among them. They’re not Ravnican, but none of us could place what plane they may have come from. Do you know that, perchance?”

Dack’s shoulders slumped in resignation. “No, I’ve never seen that kind of garb or weaponry before. Doesn’t matter, that’s not what I’m talking about. I meant that they have a prisoner.”

Ashiok tilted their head to Dack, their interest clearly piqued. “Oh, I had not seen what they were gathered around, but I am not surprised. Did you see what manner of prisoner it is?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “looks like a minotaur. Big guy, probably taller than any of them if he wasn’t on his knees. Also, I’m pretty sure that he’s another planeswalker.”

“And how can you be so certain, flea?” Nixilis grumbled dubiously.

Dack once more opted to ignore the insult lobbed at him, focusing on the task at hand, though not without a slight contortion of his features. “Well, minotaurs are a common race on Ravnica, but they tend to work either for the Gruul or for the Boros, the military. His armor and weaponry don’t match Boros, and there’d be no reason for the Gruul to stop and torture one of their own. It’s just a hunch, but it makes sense.”

The group nodded along as Dack explained, either content to accept his thought process or unknowledgeable enough to not question it. As he concluded, however, he saw Tibalt’s face adopt a skeptical glower.

“You sure they’re torturin’ him down there?” he pointedly asked. Dack had somewhat expected Tibalt to latch onto this idea, but the devil’s tone was less enthusiastic and more doubtful.

“Yeah,” Dack affirmed, “saw it myself. The minotaur’s chained up on the ground, and he looked pretty worked over. I even saw one of the Gruul hit him square in the jaw.”

Tibalt’s lips curled in dissatisfaction. “Well, whatever they’re doing down there, they’re doing a piss-poor job of it. I’m barely sensing any pain or suffering from anyone down there. Certainly nothing like when we found you. So, either this minotaur is a tough customer, those Gruul have lost their touch, or you’re mistaken.”

Dack empathically gestured over the wall with his thumb. “Go check for yourself if you don’t believe me. I know what I saw, and I saw a chained-up minotaur get clubbed in the face.”

“It matters not,” Ashiok interjected, raising their hands to both Dack and Tibalt. “Now we know for certain that Domri is not down there. We should continue on our path. We don’t need him getting any further away than he already has.”

Davriel heaved a sigh. “Agreed, though I loathe the prospect of jumping across rooftops for much longer.”

Tibalt and Nixilis both nodded their agreement, and the planeswalkers moved to stand back up, readying whatever spells they were using before to traverse the buildings. While the others were preparing, all Dack could do was stare up at them, silent and slack-jawed. It took him several seconds to compose himself, but eventually he regained his voice.

“What are you all doing?” he resentfully asked the group.

Davriel answered without turning to face Dack. “Did you not hear? We’re getting ready to move on. I’d suggest you do the same. I have no desire to wait for you to catch up again.”

Dack waved his hand towards the rooftop’s overhang. “Wait, but what about the guy down there?”

“What about him?” muttered Nixilis, clearly more preoccupied with flexing out his wings than responding to Dack’s questions.

“Aren’t we going to, you know, help him? You all saved me when I was in the same spot. Shouldn’t we do the same for him?”

Ashiok quickly responded, their hoarse voice adopting a tone of cold finality. “We haven’t the time to waste on such matters. We must find Domri and procure the location of the Immortal Sun as soon as we can. If Domri is not here, we should keep moving.”

Dack could not believe what he was hearing. His face balked, eyes practically popping from their sockets in indignant surprise. The anger he had felt earlier started to rise in his belly again, this time channeling itself into a contentious stance and intonation.

“So, what, we just leave him to die here at the hands of those savages?” he seethed, taking particular effort to keep his voice lower than the shout his words deserved.

“Precisely,” Davriel coolly, still refusing to turn his head.

An exacerbated stutter forced its way from Dack’s throat, a purely reflexive sound that pushed past the utter bewilderment seizing him. It stalled his words, which only served to rachet up their animus.

“What the fuck is wrong with all of you? We can’t just leave him to die!”

Though Dack’s tone was starting to fray, he still felt that his sentiment was obvious and right. The looks that he received back, ranging from disinterest to contempt, instantly and violently conflicted with how Dack thought they should have reacted. There was a moment of silence, with all attention on Dack’s outburst, that was eventually clipped by Ashiok.

“Dack, do you know this minotaur?”

His brain skipped a beat, caught off guard by Ashiok’s odd question. Dack shook his head, his motions coming quicker than his words. “No,” he answered with a hint of confusion, “I’ve never seen them before.”

Ashiok cupped their chin in one hand, needlelike fingernails delicately drumming against their ashen skin. “Then do you know anything about them? Their abilities?”

Again, Dack shook his head. “No, but…”

“Then there is no reason for us to waste our precious time rescuing them. It is an unnecessary risk that we cannot take.”

“Hold on a second,” Dack shot back, desperation started to creep into his voice. “He could still be useful, right? We don’t know what we’ll be facing, maybe he can help.”

This time, it was Tibalt that answered. “Help with what? This minotaur of yours isn’t gonna do anything that’ll help us.”

“And how would you know?” Dack spat. “You said yourself that they may be tough enough to withstand whatever’s going on down there. That could help us.”

“Doesn’t matter how tough he is, Dacky, he still managed to get caught by just a bunch of Gruul lackeys. That’s not the mark of someone we need helping us. If anything, I should send a few devils down there and just finish the poor guy off myself.”

“Enough,” Ashiok declared, raising a hand in Tibalt’s direction while keeping their face turned to Dack. Tibalt fell silent, but not before lobbing a roll of his eyes at Ashiok, a gesture that went completely unnoticed.

“Planeswalker or not, strong or not, that minotaur down there is none of our concern. Do not misunderstand our mission here, Dack. Everything that we do now must actively work towards freeing us from this plane. It is why we all decided to work together, despite our misgivings, and it is the only reason that we saved you. If you think this is the first captive of the Gruul that we are leaving behind, then you are gravely mistaken. We’re not here to play heroes, especially when there is even a miniscule chance that it puts our goal further out of reach. You may think it callous, but it is merely pragmatic. If you truly wish to focus on helping, then think of all the planeswalkers that will be safe once the Immortal Sun is deactivated. You cannot save a single life if it puts countless others at risk. So, let us continue our search for Domri Rade and bring this entire ordeal to a swift conclusion.”

Once Ashiok finished, they turned away from Dack without waiting for a response. The others stood silently, hanging on Ashiok’s words and curious to see what would become of them. Dack took a few moments to think, processing every syllable and sentiment Ashiok had presented, before he stood up like the rest of them, a look of defeat playing across his face.

He saw smiles materialize on Tibalt and Nixilis’s faces, and even Davriel seemed to show an inkling of interest in his motion. Ashiok was now preoccupied with summoning their nightmare mount, but their focus was interrupted when Dack decided to speak.

“Alright, you win. I’ll get moving, but can you just clarify one thing?”  
The dark plumes ceased their flow from Ashiok’s fingernails, and they turned their attention back to Dack. “Very well, but let’s be quick with it.”

Dack gave a brief, understanding nod. “Don’t worry, this should be a fast one. You said that we can’t save that guy down there because we don’t know if we could use him for this mission of yours, right?”

“Indeed,” Ashiok responded, a hint of dubiousness lingering on their words.

Dack moved his hand onto the bottom half of his face, a gloved finger lightly tapping against his upper lip. “And you did save me because you need me for the mission?”

They tilted their head, stopping short of an affirmation. “Yes, that’s also correct. Again, I ask you to look beyond the seeming insensitivity of the decision. All we want is to get off this plane, and it is not prudent to belabor our time here with needless distractions.”

Dack’s finger ceased tapping, and from beneath his hand, the corners of his mouth crept up the sides of his face. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

With his eyes trained firmly on Ashiok’s minimal features, Dack stuffed his hands in his pockets and offered a small shrug to the group. Then, Dack turned his back to the group, took a few steps towards the edge of the roof, and vaulted over.

The cries of outrage and disbelief that overtook the rooftop quickly vanished from Dack’s ears, carried away by the wind surging around his descent. He most likely would not have heard any of their words regardless, as his total concentration was on the street below that started ballooning in his field of vision. With his mind blank, Dack let his instincts fully take hold, just as he had done on countless heists before. His eyes closed for a moment, he took a brief breath in through his nostrils, and let his magic begin to pulse through his body. His eyes shot open, glowing with steely energy, and his feet were once again encased by a pair of silver-winged sandals. He hazarded a quick scan around his target, absorbing the dimensions of the street, and mere feet from the ground, he launched off the building’s side with a powerful kick.

The wind currents cut like razors across Dack’s face as he rocketed towards the Gruul gathering. He had chosen the sandals because of their incredible speed, but they offered him little steering control. Luckily, he trusted his ability to gauge the proper trajectory at a glance, and even in such a chaotic environment, his aim was true. In less than a second, Dack was beginning his descent, poised to land in the center of their circle. With little time before the impact, Dack reared back his arm and opened his palm. A crackling ball of energy appeared in his hand, filling the air around him with a distorted whine. This seemed to get the Gruul’s attention, their eyes and weapons shifting upward. Their reactions were too slow, however, as their upturned gaze let them see only the moment when Dack hurled the Static Orb to the street below.

The small sphere landed between the minotaur and the circle’s edge. Its impact let out a muted _tink_ of stone on metal, swiftly followed by a crackling eruption that seemed to warp all sound around it. An ethereal shockwave bowed from the orb, sweeping over the Gruul, zombies, and minotaur before spreading out to the barriers of the alleyway. Dack watched on his way down as the movements on the ground gradually slowed to a grinding halt, a contented smile on his face contrasting with the twisted confusion on the Gruuls’.

_I knew that thing would’ve worked on them. Sorry about the slowdown, big guy, but I needed a way to get you out without getting dogpiled._

The internal apology brought his face back to its even state, just in time for his landing. As the ground grew ever closer, Dack deactivated his sandals and landed solidly on his feet just beside the Static Orb. The tingling sensation of the Orb’s dampening still made his shudder, the temporal electricity forcing his hair to stand uneasily on end.

“Gods, I hate this thing,” he muttered under his breath as he tried to quickly stretch out some lingering discomfort. It did not completely disappear, but it was alleviated enough that Dack could ignore it and move on to freeing the captive.

He quickly moved over to where the minotaur kneeled, its face now frozen in a confused skyward gaze. Now that he was up close, Dack could see the extent of the damage done by the Gruul. The minotaur’s face was covered in brown fur that was now matted by dried blood and disrupted by all manner of cuts and bumps. There was a rather large wound between his horns that had bathed his head in a crimson pattern like a melting candle. His armor and weapons, which appeared to be two iron hammers holstered around his waist, also looked particularly banged up, a thick layer of wear and tear telling Dack that they had seen quite the battle today. As Dack observed an individual whose fate was much worse than his own, his emotions fluctuated between sympathy and relief.

_If I didn’t have someone save me, I’d probably be about the same, maybe worse by now. Can’t believe those assholes are gonna keep going…_

Dack did his best to forget about what Ashiok and the others had said, focusing his attention on liberating the injured prisoner. His eyes wandered from his armor to the chains that were wrapped tightly around his torso, pinning his arms down, fingers just centimeters away from his weapons. The chain looked old and weathered, but Dack could tell that it was still sturdy enough to give anyone trouble. Its rough surface was nearly black, as if it were in constant use in the vicinity of high heat and hard labor. Breaking up the marked surface were splotches of what looked like blood, though most of it was browner than Dack was accustomed to seeing.

_I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess. Whatever, I just gotta get this chain off and get him the hell out of here before the Static Orb spell wears off._

He took a few more seconds to inspect the chain, weighing it in his hand and running his gloved fingers over its rough surface. Once he removed himself, he quickly retreated into his mind, searching for an artifact that would quickly and cleanly break through the solid links.

“Nothing too big,” he mumbled to himself, eyes nearly glazed over in mental concentration, “don’t want take us out along with the chain. Don’t want to deal with shrapnel, so no explosives. Single target application, works fast, not too messy. Oh, yeah, that’ll work.”

Blinking his vision back into focus, Dack raised a hand in front of him and let his psychometry flow into his palm. Slowly, the glowing image of a sun-shaped locket appeared in his hand, its center undulating with smoky white mana held in place by a bronze stopper. It was a simple disruption spell imbued onto an etherium capsule. Dack had picked up during a trip to Esper, perfect for destroying inanimate evidence of his thefts. He had no doubt that it would dissolve the restraints in no time at all, leaving plenty of leeway for their escape.

“Alright, here goes,” Dack announced as he positioned his hand over one of the chains. He uncorked the capsule, ready for the effervescent magic to spill from his palm onto the well-worn metal. Before it started to flow, however, Dack’s peripheral vision caught something moving just behind him. He turned around, expecting to see nothing more than the shadows of crows passing by overhead, but instead he saw the glint of a blade’s edge bearing down on his head.

“Oh fuck!”

His body moving faster than his mind, Dack instinctively stepped out of the sword’s path. It clattered against the chain, the sound of reverberating metal distorting under the influence of the Orb. The capsule in Dack’s hand evaporated, his concentration severed momentarily as he tried to keep his balance.

“What the fuck was that?” Dack reflexively yelled out as his feet found solid ground. Looking up in bewilderment, he saw the source of the attack, standing plain as day before him. He had been so focused on his task of dismantling the minotaur’s chains, he had not noticed that his original snare was not working as expected. While the Gruul and their captive were still frozen in place, the zombies were slowly, but surely, closing in on him.

 _I don’t understand,_ Dack pondered, brow creasing with confusion. _The Static Orb’s magic should be sapping the energy of everything it touched. Do these things have some sort of immunity?_

He did not have time to think on this further, as he felt his back knock against something solid. His focus growing increasingly scattered, Dack’s errant step away from one zombie’s blade put him directly within reach of another. He looked up briefly and saw the skeletal façade of the zombie bearing down on him, its arms spread wide and its empty sockets coating him in eerie magenta light. With his back against its chest, the zombie closed its arms, ready to envelop, and most likely crush him.

Thinking as quick as he could, Dack swept his own feet from under him. His legs went through the zombie’s own, letting his braced palms hit the ground directly in front of the zombie’s feet. As the creature closed its arms around empty air, Dack pushed off with his hands and propelled himself through the zombie’s spread posture. Once his feet hit cobblestone again, Dack vaulted himself up to a standing position, clear of the second zombie but far from safety.

He took a moment to catch his breath and gather his wits after the quick succession of attacks, which afforded him a brief glimpse at his surroundings. All around him, the ten or so zombies he had seen earlier were advancing on him at a trudging, steady pace, save the ones holding tight to the minotaur’s restraints. The Static Orb seemed to be affecting them somewhat, their motions coming off as slow and laborious, but it was a far cry from the total stoppage Dack expected.

 _Fuck, I was not prepared for this,_ he internally berated. _Ok, no big deal. These things are still slowed down. Those first attacks were only close because I wasn’t expecting them. I just need to slip out of here and go g-_

Suddenly, Dack noticed a sound coming from both behind and above him. Though it was warped by the time field, he instantly knew that some manner of projectile was hurtling towards him, and it was coming fast. A panic gripped his innards, forcing his mind to go forward with the first strategy he could imagine. His eyes lit up, and the luminous outline of a helmet materialized around Dack’s head. In a flash, his head was encased in glittering bronze. The magic forged into a falcon-like helm, complete with a curved faceguard and topped with a waving crest. With his head now protected, Dack readied to leap to the side, out of the path of the projectile and, ideally, away from the assailants altogether. Unfortunately, his anxious state had left him vulnerable, and his reactionary movement was too slow for this attack.

Dack’s thoughts of escape stopped short. All his thoughts stopped short, in fact, as they were replaced with a sudden, explosive reverberation erupting from the back of his head. His senses were overcome by minute shockwaves of pain from the point of impact, each one accompanied by a vomitous ringing. He felt his mind start to drown, threatening to plunge into an inky unconsciousness. The helmet instantly evaporated, leaving him to clutch his head in a desperate ploy for stability. He fought against it as much he could, trying to keep his mind occupied. His original plan finally made its way through his mental faculties, and he moved away from where he had just been hit. He staggered a few steps, posture dangerously wobbling, and looked behind him.

Standing several meters away, he saw a zombie staring back at him, its reddened eyes piercing into his own, slowly blurring vision. It wielded a thin rod with chains attached at either end, which were then topped by what looked like spiked metal spheres. He thought he saw the zombie reeling the chain in for another attack, but everything in his vision was beginning to smear into a mass of abstract colors.

_Fuck… not again… can’t… gotta… keep…shit…_

Gritting his teeth and forcibly clenching every muscle his scrambling brain could find, Dack slowly straightened his posture. He closed his eyes, swallowed hard, and tried to focus simply on the hectic pace of his own heartbeat. He knew he could not stand here for long, but he knew he wouldn’t get far just by forcing his body to move when it was not ready. After what felt like a few seconds, the incessant ringing died down across his skull, and Dack could feel his regular thought pattern returning.

_Ok, that’s good. Now I just gotta get out of here as fast as I fucking can._

As Dack opened his eyes, ready to summon his winged sandals for an airborne escape, he came face-to-face with a sight that instantaneously drained the color from his face. He had no time to react before a zombie, that had somehow appeared by his side, grabbed him around the waist. Its strength squeezed against his torso, forcing the air from his lungs and digging his belt buckle into his stomach hard enough to draw blood. He gasped for air, struggling against the vicelike grip, as he looked on with hysterical confusion.

_How the fuck did this thing get here so fast!? It wasn’t anywhere… near…_

Though he eventually found a suitable, if shallow, breathing rhythm, it was not enough to stymie the dismal realization that struck Dack as he surveyed the alley. It seemed that his summoned helmet was not the only spell that was disrupted by the blow to the head. All around him, the Gruul were stirring once again. They shook their bodies furiously, no doubt trying to remove the leftover sensation of their energy-deprived state, and they were beginning to advance on him in discordant unison with their undead acquaintances.

Seized by the direness of the situation, Dack pulled as hard as he could to remove himself from the zombie’s crushing grasp. Though he pulled with all his might, Dack could not escape. The zombie’s physical strength was far greater than anticipated, and the metallic shell made it nearly impossible for Dack to find a proper handhold. After several seconds of failed attempts, he slumped back to his feet. The other zombies were getting close, and the Gruul not far behind. The zombie wielding the chained ball was nearly upon him, swinging its weapon with menace.

_Ok, shit. Gotta focus now. I panicked last time this happened, but not this time. So, what can I use to get out of this? The Fleetfeather Sandals might work again, though I’d rather not tear up my coat on this thing’s bangles if I can avoid it. The Avacynian Torch wards off the undead, maybe it’ll work here. Or perhaps…_

He knew he had to decide, to pick an artifact that could free him and get him out of here. It should have been simple, but even now, he felt a remorseful pang in his chest at the prospect of abandoning the chained-up minotaur. It was the only think that gave him pause, and though he knew it was risky, he felt compelled to consider all options.

As Dack contemplated the various escape tool he had available, he watched the consistent advance of the other zombies. The ebbing shadow of the ball and chain now flickered before his face, eclipsing the sun every few moments and dampening Dack’s ability to concentrate.

_C’mon, there’s gotta be a way I can still free this guy. Think!_

He wracked his brain, flipping through every enchanted gem and mystic dagger he had laid his hands on, looking for the perfect option. The rhythmic swing of the ball and chain now set the pace of his indexing as it grew closer and closer. He could practically feel the wind coming off the rusted surface. His choices were narrowing, but not fast enough.

Suddenly, the sun’s light completely left Dack, temporarily covering him in shadow. The wind picked up, pushing from above in steady beats. He had not truly been paying attention to his surroundings since his focus turned to escape, but these changes were enough to rouse him back to the outside world. He craned his neck up in bafflement, just in time to see Ob Nixilis baring down on him, claws readied.

Before Dack could properly react, Nixilis swooped in and attacked the zombie that was holding him. His ebony claws dug into its head, a teeth-rattling _crack_ coming from the splintering shell. Without stopping his aerial momentum, Nixilis passed over Dack, ripping the zombie’s head clean off its shoulders with a twisted yank. The zombie’s grip instantly loosened, letting a welcome rush of air into Dack’s grateful lungs.

He did not even take a second breath before he heard another projectile coming from behind. Dack instinctively ducked, but the projectile passed cleanly over his head. This gave Dack a clear view as the decapitated head blasted through the chest cavity of the ball-and-chain-wielding zombie in front of him. A spray of brown viscera followed the impact, filling the air with a pungent waft of death. The blown-out zombie collapsed to the ground with a wet _thud_ , revealing Ashiok standing behind it, a thick layer of rotten blood coating them and the thrown skull clutched in one hand.

“Watch where you’re throwing,” they called out to Nixilis, idly tossing the head aside like a used food wrapper. “It won’t do us any good if you just blindly kill everyone.”

“What do I care about good?” came the growling response, followed by a guttural laugh as Nixilis halted his wings and landed, sending tremors across the street. Ashiok’s lip curled in annoyance at the flippant response, but it soon disappeared as they prepared to return to their attack.

While the crushing weight across his waist slowly eased, Dack took another moment to survey the alley. He was met with a very different sight than what he beheld just a moment before. A new form of chaos had disseminated through the ranks, brought by the timely arrival of Dack’s now two-time saviors. Behind him, Dack could hear the vigorous crunching of Nixilis’ attacks. Off to the side, he saw a detachment of miniature devils cover one of the Gruul, clawing and biting at every spot of exposed skin, while Tibalt engaged another, juggling a curved dagger in one hand. Davriel was nearby, sending blasts of necrotic energy towards anyone bold enough to approach him. Finally, Dack watched Ashiok, standing just before him, as they sent their tentacled nightmare to attack one of the zombies. It wrapped its appendages around the creature’s arms, legs, neck, and torso, then dismembered it with a single flourishing jerk.

Once the zombie was dealt with, Ashiok turned back to Dack while wicking as much of the fetid gore from their robes as they could.

“Are you waiting for something?” they rasped over the din of battle. “Go on and get that damned minotaur free so we can continue on our mission.”

Dack offered a wry smile. “Aw, didn’t know you cared that much. I could have gotten out of that myself, you know.”

“Then you should have done so when you had the chance. Now hurry up, we can only waste so much time rescuing you before we need to cut our losses.”

Dack’s smile evaporated at the callous words, just another cold reminder of what his place in all this was. He tried to shake off the malaise and focus on what he had jumped off that building for. Turning quickly back to the center of the circle, Dack rushed to where the minotaur now lay. The chains were no longer held taut in the air, as the zombies holding the restraints had since met both Nixilis and Davriel. It seemed that he was still reeling from the Static Orb. Though the shallow rising and falling of his chest showed a clear indicator of his breathing, the minotaur’s snout was pressed to the bricks, the limp chains were still wrapped around him, and the orange glow Dack observed had now dimmed.

 _Oh gods,_ Dack mentally groaned as he approached, _maybe he’s not that tough a guy if one hit from the Orb knocked him out like this. He should have already regained his energy now that it’s gone. Ah well…_

Dack rolled his neck and knelt down, ready to unravel the chains. The noise of the surrounding melee made it difficult for Dack to focus on the task and resummon his Dispeller’s Capsule. Fortunately for him, as he ran his hands down the length of the chain to inspect it, he found that it only wrapped around the minotaur’s body a single time. Dack began reeling in the links that had been dropped and began feeding them under and around the minotaur’s hulking frame. Lifting the body took much more effort than Dack expected, and he nearly dropped him when a rush of air, accompanied by a mangled scream, passed directly overhead. Dack managed to keenly ignore the distractions, and it was not long before the entire length of the chain clattered to the ground beside the incapacitated planeswalker.

With the fetters removed, Dack sat back on his haunches and contemplated the best way to wake the minotaur up. Most of his toolkit was more concerned with knocking people out, not the other way around. He briefly considered asking Tibalt to restimulate the body, as he had done for Dack, but the sense memory of his burning lungs was more than enough to dissuade him. He became so lost in thought, trying to formulate an amenable solution, that he nearly fell to the ground when the body started stirring on its own.

First came a loud, angry snort. Then, the minotaur placed his hands against the ground and pushed up, trying to get onto his feet. Upon seeing this effort, Dack immediately jumped in, tucking his shoulder beneath the minotaur’s armpit and pushing up with all his strength.

“Alright, big guy,” Dack spoke through grit teeth as he helped lift the planeswalker to his feet, “don’t strain too much. I got you.”

Another loud exhalation erupted from the minotaur’s snout, and suddenly Dack felt the crushing weight of the minotaur’s body leave his shoulders. He stumbled back from the unexpected reprieve, just in time to see the stranger rise to his feet. As the minotaur cracked his neck and stretched his undoubtedly sore limbs, Dack took a moment to brush the dirt from his pants.

“Well, there we go,” Dack exhaled, making a mental note to include more strength training in his daily regimen. “Hope they didn’t rough you up too bad. I’m Dack Fayden, of Fiora.”

The minotaur ceased his stretching and met Dack’s gaze. Even through the dried blood that caked his fur, Dack could see a silent fury just behind his eyes.

“I am Angrath,” he plainly said. His voice was deep, similar to Nixilis’, but with the demonic sadism replaced with a reticent weariness. “I am grateful that you came down here.”

Dack offered Angrath a warm smile. “Think nothing of it. I’ve been where you are not too long ago, so I figured you could use the help. Me and my… associates couldn’t just leave you like that. Though, we should probably get going. We don’t want more of these ugly bastards to show up.”

Dack turned away from Angrath to get a quick survey of the street. Pandemonium was in full swing, with his allies still mincing through what remained of the zombies and barbarians. There was a clear path carved out, presumably where they had arrived from, so Dack pointed with his thumb in that direction.

“We can go through there. We’ve been travelling on the rooftops, so we’ll have to figure out a way to get you up there, but that shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Ashiok’s probably got something you can use, though you’ll want to watch yourself around them.”

“Go…with you?” Angrath rumbled.

Dack’s gaze returned to the minotaur, who stood still at his prompting. Interpreting this as a show of doubt, Dack held his hands up in what he hoped would be a friendly gesture. “Yeah, we can’t stick around here too long. You’re a planeswalker, right?”

If Angrath was surprised by Dack’s bold assumption, he did not show it. He merely gave a small nod. “Indeed.”

“Right, so I’m sure you noticed that we’re stuck on this plane at the moment.”

This time, Angrath’s countenance shifted. It was subtle, and someone who was not adept at reading people would have likely missed it, but Dack saw the quick flash of unbridled rage that raced across his bovine features. It nearly made Dack jump, but he managed to stay composed.

“Yes,” Angrath responded, voice showing no sign of his silent outburst, “I have noticed this too. I was ripped from my home, and now I am stranded here.”

“Yeah, same for all of us.” Dack broadly motioned to the others behind him, unsure if any of them were even in view. “I’m sure you want to get out of here and get back to your life, right? Well, come with us and we can help you out.”

With another quick smile, Dack spun around and took an optimistic step towards their escape route. Based on the anger that he saw on Angrath’s face at the mere mention of their imprisonment, he figured the minotaur would readily follow him. When he did not hear any footsteps accompanying his own, Dack paused and turned back around.

Angrath was still in the same spot, but he was now crouching, nose pointing to the ground. Dack looked on, confused, as he saw Angrath pick up the discarded chain in which he had been snared. As he rose, Angrath slowly wound one end of the chain around his wrist and, once it was fastened, grabbed the chain as if it were the hilt of a sword.

“Um, Angrath,” Dack tentatively spoke up, hesitant to interrupt his bizarre actions, “we really should head out as soon as we can.”

Angrath did not look to Dack, his eyes trained on his fist that wrapped tightly around the chain. Dack opened his mouth to say more, but he fell silent when he saw Angrath’s hand start to glow with an intense orange light. Slowly, the energy in his fist spread up the length of the chain, transforming it from a dull grey to a smoldering umber. Even more intense than the color shift were the waves of heat radiating from it all. They hit Dack almost immediately, and he winced at the mild burning sensation that danced across his exposed face.

 _I guess he wants to fight,_ Dack contemplated in the face of this powerful display. _I can appreciate that, but we’ve already got these covered, and I don’t want to stick around and give the Gruul any more chances to get us._

With an imperceptible nod to himself, Dack took another step towards Angrath and reached out a hand. “Hey, I get that you want to make these assholes pay, but now’s not really th-”

“What is it you said earlier?” Angrath abruptly cut him off, eyes still trained on his blazing fist. “Something about getting off this plane, correct?”

“Yeah, all of us are working together to figure a way out of here. The thing that’s holding us here is some old piece of junk called The Immortal Sun, and once we find it, we can kiss this plane goodbye.”

Angrath’s eyes finally rose to meet Dack’s, and a single derisive snort escaped his nostrils, followed by a slow shake of his head. “I am well acquainted with the artifact you speak of. You have no idea what you are dealing with. The Immortal Sun is no mere trinket to be tossed aside. I doubt there is a planeswalker here that could dispose of such an odorous relic.”

Dack did not know how to react to these comments. On one hand, Angrath’s dismissiveness rubbed the efficacious planeswalker the wrong way, but on the other hand, the fact that Angrath knew about The Immortal Sun was all the information Dack would need to convince the others that rescuing him was a good idea. He tried to split the emotional difference, addressing Angrath in a tone he hoped was inviting.

“Well, I don’t know much about this thing, but I’m pretty handy when it comes to ‘odorous relics’. If you come along with us, you can tell us what you know about the Sun, and we can come up with a plan together. I, for one, thinks that sounds a hell of a lot better than standing around here waiting to beat some Gruul faces in, satisfying as it would be. The sooner we can figure this out, the sooner we all go home.”

Dack shifted his posture away from Angrath and towards their path out of the surrounding fight, hoping that would give the extra push to convince the bullheaded planeswalker. Instead, Angrath gave another small laugh as he pulled an iron hammer from his belt. His hand quickly illuminated to match the other, and the hammer was soon emitted the same orange radiance as the chain.

“You are quite the speaker, Dack. You would have made a fine crewmate. Perhaps even a captain. But you should not speak of things you do not understand. There is only one way off this plane, and I’m afraid that it is not yours.”

As he spoke, Dack sensed an odd shift in Angrath’s demeanor. He could not quite put a finger on what had changed, but something felt off. Dack hardly had time to process this before he watched Angrath raise his chain-wielding arm over his head. The minotaur’s muscles bulged in anticipation, a clear signifier of his strength.

Dack had a hand up to signal a pause, a signal he hoped would reach Angrath. “Wait, what are you doing?”

Angrath’s crimson gaze pierced Dack’s as he answered: “What I must.”

Without warning, Angrath swung his hand down as hard as he could, with the searing chain following close behind. His strength propelled it at an intense speed, the sound of sizzling metal filling the air. Had it not been for the extended windup, Dack would not have had time to react, but he was fortunate enough to see it coming. He had not realized it, but all while Angrath spoke, his own posture had morphed into his typical roguish stance, with muscles coiled and feet positioned to bid a hasty retreat. This allowed him to spring out of the chain’s path with ample space.

The heated links slammed into the ground, burying into the cobbles with an earth-shattering _CRACK!_ The noise blasted across the street, followed by an intense flash of orange light and a wave of superheated air and upended dirt. Dack put up a hand to block out as much brightness and debris as he could. The massive burst of energy passed over him in an instant, fading away as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind a faint prickling sensation on his skin and a ringing in his ears.

_What in the fuck is this guy thinking!? Shit, I gotta think of-_

“Alright, guess that’s our cue, boys! Let’s give ‘em the thrashing of a lifetime!”

Even with his damaged hearing, adding to his already present sense of disorientation, Dack’s thoughts were clipped by the sudden, unmistakable declaration. His eyes shot up to the rooftops, directly across from where he and his allies had been perched a moment before. He was just fast enough to see Domri Rade, surrounded by a company of howling Gruul barbarians and fang-bearing beasts, leaping off the top of the building and letting loose a guttural screech.

“Shit, it’s an ambush!” Dack yelled out, half in surprise and half in a disparate attempt to ensure his allies knew exactly what was happening. He tried to make his voice louder than the incoming Gruul, with little success. His mind started whirring, trying to construct a viable escape plan before the aerial assault landed. Unfortunately, before Dack could even reconstruct a mental layout of the alleyway, he was interrupted by the echoing sound of nearby doors bursting against brick walls.

Frantically turning all around, Dack saw the surrounding buildings violently open, and streams of blue-skinned zombies poured from the maws. They were all like the others, eyes red with sinister magic and hands curled around all manner of exotic weaponry, but now their presence had expanded tenfold. All around him and his allies, a veritable deluge of undead warriors swiftly flowed, threatening to engulf every one of them.

The rhythmic pounding of the pavement below mixed with the primordial war cry above, creating a cacophony of pure noise that threatened to overtake Dack’s senses. He tried to get a grasp on the situation, but his focus was pulled in so many directions. Between the Gruul and the zombies closing in on every side, Dack completely forgot about the very real threat in front of him. At least, he forgot about it until he felt the force of a burning chain slam against his side.

There was no time to react before Angrath’s chain slung around his body, winding around his slender frame five times and pinning his arms to his sides. Angrath quickly grabbed the free-swinging end in his other hand and pulled the chain tight, immobilizing Dack and practically branding his jacket with its imprint. The crush of the links, coupled with the blistering heat, made Dack scream out in pain. He managed to stay standing, but only until a powerful tug on his restraints sent him to the ground. He landed roughly on his knees, and he could hear his pants, and the flesh just beneath, tearing against the uneven stones.

Dack’s posture slumped as he hit the street, strands of hair falling unevenly across his face. Angrath stopped pulling the chains any tighter, so the vicelike pain and the subsequent burning were lessened just enough for Dack to notice, but still present enough to keep his face pulled into a perpetual wince. Trying to take his mind off his agonizing position, and somewhat out of legitimate concern, Dack blew the bangs from his eyes and looked around for the others.

Sifting through the endless throng of zombies that were now upon them was difficult, but he eventually found the telltale signs of his allies. To his dismay, the other planeswalkers were faring the same as he was. He first saw Tibalt pinned on his stomach, practically frothing at the mouth as a pair of zombies each held one of his arms back while a third dug a knee between his shoulders. They were all crawling with devils, but they seemed completely unaffected by the tiny claws and teeth.

Davriel and Ashiok were no better off, with each one also held by a detachment of zombies. Davriel knelt much like Dack, with hands bound behind his back by an Eternal’s grasp. Ashiok was flanked by zombies, who used one hand to keep Ashiok’s arms at their sides and the other wrapped around their horns. Where Davriel seemed reluctant to fight back, Ashiok was still wrenching and wriggling in attempted escape, but the zombies managed to keep their hold on them.

As he scanned past these tragic sights, a small part of Dack held out hope that Nixilis had managed to escape. Between his flight capabilities and his strength at dispatching these zombies, there was a minute chance that the demon could be their savior. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed quite thoroughly as Dack’s eyes landed on the far end of the alley, where Domri and his crew had landed. Amidst the Gruul havoc, Nixilis’ frame stood like a marble statue, affixed to the ground by a thick coating of white strands. Dack could only assume that this was a massive web of spider silk, like what Domri had used to impede his own prior escape.

As the Gruul and their beasts dispersed to continue their rampage, Domri stuck around to stare up the subdued Nixilis, the latter’s bare-toothed snarl reflecting the former’s celebratory grin. Unmoved by the demon’s presence, Domri rapped the butt of his staff against the stones, then let out another earsplitting whoop that cut through the tempestuous noise of the battlefield. This call was different than his charging cry, and his horde quieted down and joined around the large encampment of zombies. All eyes, including Dack’s, fell on the diminutive destructor as he walked over to one of his accompanying creatures. He put a hand on its neck, idly scratching the beast behind its ear as he addressed the assembled ranks.

“Alright,” he jovially yelled, staff waving triumphantly in the air, “the plan worked like a bloody charm! Praz, let’s get these poor fucks loaded on the nodorogs, and you and the rest’ll send ‘em to the citadel. I hate to waste fresh meat, but Bolas wants ‘em alive.”

One of the Gruul, a centaur clad in bones and plants, offered a quick nod and started waving to the others. They mirrored her affirmation and started preparing the myriad monsters for prisoner transport.

While the others began shuffling about, Domri moved from his beast to look over his captives and bask in his victory. “Oh boy, now ain’t this a lovely sight. You bastards thought you could get the drop on me?” He wagged a playful finger at Dack and the others as his fanged grin spread from ear to ear. “Shoulda just taken the first loss back there. At least that time, you got away with your lives. Now, well, we’ll see what the big guy’s got cookin’ up for ye back at his.”

As Domri let out a hyenic cackle, Dack suddenly felt a strong compulsion deep in his chest. One that he knew he would instantly regret, but seeing the situation he was in, he figured it could not get too much worse.

“I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken,” Dack blurted out, loud enough for all to hear.

Domri’s smile vanished at the interruption, and he swung his staff around in Dack’s direction. “What’re you on about now?”

“Well,” he continued, thick layers of sarcasm compiling with every syllable, “I think you’ve got the wrong people here, sir. After all, from what you said, the people you thought you captured were beaten in their last encounter with you, but, if my memory serves, it was you who ran from us, tails between your legs. So, there must be some mix-up here, right?”

Dack could not help but smirk as Nixilis’ booming laughter filled the air. Domri was not nearly as amused, lips curling into an ugly sneer. He gave a quick nod to Angrath, who readjusted his grip on the glowing chains and, with a flex of his massive biceps, pulled the two ends in opposite directions. The chain swiftly constricted around Dack, fast and hard enough for Nixilis’ laugh to be drowned out by the internal _snap_ of several ribs, followed close behind by an overwhelming sensation of agony.

Dack violently coughed as his lungs vacated, thin spittle flying out alongside the painful sound of him gasping for air. He wanted to collapse on the ground, but Angrath kept him propped upright. This response seemed enough to appease Domri, as his smile reappearing with a seemingly enhanced shine.

Domri leaned towards Dack, cupping his ear tauntingly. “What was that you were saying? Hmm? I don’t think I ‘eard ya. Ya may ‘ave to speak up.” He stood over Dack for a few moments, waiting for a response they both knew would not come through Dack’s unrelenting fit of hacking. Satisfied, Domri straightened himself and stared down his nose at Dack, casting a thin shadow over his hunched frame.

“That’s what I fuckin’ thought. Ya lost once before, and ya lost again now, so you’d be better off just acceptin’ it. It’ll make the next step all the easier for me. Though if ya wanna keep talkin’, by all means. Me and the boys got no problem shutting those traps for ya if ya can’t do it yourself!” Domri raised his hands in encouragement to the surrounding Gruul, who answered his gesture with a jarring chorus of whoops and cheers, the volume of which stripped away at Dack’s already tested sanity. Though he did not currently have the composure to speak up, his allies more than made up for it.

“You dare to call this a victory!?” Nixilis boomed, straining to turn his head to Domri against the tensile strength of his prison. “Pitiful worm, once I am free of this blasted snare, I will show you the true meaning of the word.”

Domri cocked his head in Nixilis’ direction, an exaggerated expression of doubt on his face. “Yeah, good luck with that, you Rakdos reject. That’s genuine archweaver silk. Not even the Legion’s blades can cut through that, so unless you got access to kraul digestive enzymes somewhere, you’re staying put.”

Nixilis remained unfazed, still staring down Domri as best he could. “Then free me and face me yourself! Prove that you are as mighty a warrior as you claim. Tricks and traps are tools of the weak, so face me in combat and show that you have what it takes to be a proper victor!”

For a moment, Dack was taken aback by Nixilis’ words. He could not tell if it was a true declaration of his code of honor, or simply a ploy to weasel out of the trap. The demon had not seemed like one to care about how victory was achieved, but for a brief second, Dack reevaluated what he thought he knew about Nixilis.

Domri, however, did not seem to consider Nixilis’ words at all, and he immediately burst into a high-pitched fit of laughter. “Good one, mate! Like I give two shits about how I beat you. We’re the Gruul, and we’ll do whatever we need to do to get what we want! So, if you care that much about ‘true victory’ and all that shit, go right ahead and break outta there on your own. I’ll fight ya then, ‘ow about that?”

Nixilis let out a forceful breath and stared into Domri’s smug face with an intensity that could strip the luster from a sword. “Insolent cur, you dare mock me!? Your reckoning will be swift as lightning and strong as brimstone!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure it will,” Domri said with a dismissive wave to Nixilis. “Heard it all before, mate. You ain’t the first to threaten me, and you won’t be the last. But with the strength of the Gruul behind me, there ain’t nothing we can’t do!”

Another surge of loud cheers resonated across the desolate alleyway, with the Gruul members idly hanging off either their mounts or the statue-like zombies. Though the well of their enthusiasm seemed bottomless in the face of their victory, Domri quickly signaled their silence again. Once their focus was on him, he began brandishing his staff in directorial fashion, readying the troops for their new transport mission. Before any more activity could pick up, another voice spoke up, this time from behind Dack.

“How did you do it?” Ashiok rasped. Domri’s head snapped in their direction, and he whirled his staff around, waving it until it passed over all his captives.

“You’re a chatty lot, ain’tcha?” Eventually, his staff landed in Ashiok’s direction, the horns at its tip mirroring Ashiok’s own. “That was you, wasn’t it? I guess if all you got is a mouth, ya wanna put it to good use, huh?”

“I can think of a better use for it,” one of the clan members interjected, his statement punctuated by a gesture Dack did not need to see to understand his point. This was met by another wave of vicious laughter, which Domri readily led. He feigned wiping a mirthful tear from his eye before returning his attention to Ashiok.

“Now, what were you on about? I couldn’t quite hear ya.”

Ashiok’s voice remained stoic, unmoved by the Gruul’s crudeness. “I asked how you managed to capture us. How did you know where we would be, or what we would do? You’ll forgive the inquisition, but after our previous encounter, you all do not seem overly concerned with manners of strategy.”

At this, Domri shrugged. “Trackin’ you lot was easier than I expected. You really should learn to look up once in a while. Ya never know when a little birdie is watchin’. What, don’t tell me ya didn’t even consider that?”

Dack watched as Ashiok’s lips pursed, no doubt feeling the same foolishness that he felt at this revelation. They had all heard the omnipresent cawing and seen the shifting shadows of overhead avians throughout their travels. They had assumed they were merely native ravens enjoying the sun. None of them had thought that they might be reporting their whereabouts to the person they were trying to catch.

“You lot did surprise me back there,” Domri continued, still wildly gesturing with his staff, “so I figured I’d leave behind a few feathered friends o’ mine. You also gave me plenty of time to figure a plan out, waiting for this one to come to.”

This statement was punctuated by a quick jab of his staff at Dack, who refused to flinch at the show of ferocity. Instead, Dack looked up to Angrath, who had been content to stay silent, watching Domri’s grand display.

“And what about you?” Dack managed to spit out at the minotaur, his words still strained by his injuries. “Why the fuck are you helping this guy capture us?”

Angrath stared down at Dack, embellishing his slow response with a forceful snort. “I told you that you do not understand what is going on here. I have been trapped by the Immortal Sun before. I did not see my family, my wife and children, for years because of that damned trinket. I won’t let it hold me again.”

“That’s exactly right!” Domri exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air to demonstrate his excitement. “Angrath here’s a smart one, unlike the rest of ya. He knows that the only way outta here is through the big guy himself. So, we came to a little agreement. He helps me out in capturing as many planeswalkers as we can, and the boss sends him home by the end of the day. Simple enough, yeah?”

Angrath offered a curt nod. “Indeed.”

Suddenly, Dack was struck by an oddity in their corroboration. His gaze held on Angrath as he slowly thought through what was giving him pause. “Wait, so you were never captured by these guys? That was all just, what, an act?”

“You are correct,” Angrath gruffly confirmed with a shake of his head.

“But I saw those Gruul attacking you. Hell, you’re still covered in blood. Why go through all that damn trouble?”

To Dack’s surprise, it was Domri who answered his query. “Ah, now that’s where you’re wrong. Ol’ Angrath here got those injuries before we even met him. While me and my boys were, uh, tactically retreating, I got word from my pal Nikya that her band had run smack into a weird kinda guy like what I was lookin’ for. Sure enough, when I went to check it out, I found this guy in the middle of the street, swingin’ around that big glowing chain of his, trying to level the whole damn block! He wasn’t attacking us or any of the Eternals, not one soul, just the fuckin’ city. He got that gash in his head from ramming into the side of an apartment building full force.”

Angrath’s eyes drifted down slightly, which Dack interpreted as a sign of embarrassment at his previous outburst. “I have no qualms with the creatures inhabiting this plane. Merely the plane itself. Any place that houses the Sun is nothing more than a glorified jail cell.”

“Too true,” Domri encouraged with a broad smile, “and you did end up leveling that damn building. See, we’re kindred spirits, the two of us, ready to tear this city to the ground at a moment’s notice. So, we get to talking, and I hatch this brilliant plan to lure you all out. We pretend he’s a captive, just like pretty boy over here was. I figured if you’d try and save one, you’d try to save another, and what d’ya know, I was right on the money!”

Dack’s brow wrinkled in bafflement. “So, when I saw the Gruul beating you, that was…”

“A deception,” Angrath succinctly answered.

Domri nodded along, mohawk bobbing erratically. “Yeah, fuckin’ worked like a charm! With my surveillance, we knew when you lot were close enough to see, and Angrath here got to use his, um… what was that fancy name you had for that magic again?”

“Compulsory conscription.”

Domri snapped his fingers in understanding. “Yeah, that’s it! It’s like mind control, but a little more personal, y’know.”

“I suppose that is one way to describe it,” Angrath conceded, his tone conveying a lack of desire to explain further. “It allows me to guide other’s actions to my aid. It’s how I made it seem that the Gruul were torturing me.”

“And how you’re controlling all these Eternals right now,” Domri quickly added.

“Correct. Though they are being controlled by another, those commands are not being regularly enforced like mine.”

“Eh, that’s just Lili, don’t worry too much about it. She’s got her hands full with the Eternals all over the city. I’m sure she appreciates the break from this bunch.”

As the two planeswalkers talked, Dack listened with halved attention. His focus was on frantically trying to process all the information thrown at him. Domri, Angrath, Eternals, mind control, it was all getting to be a bit much.

_I can barely follow any of what these two are saying, but I don’t think it really damn matters. We lost, all because I fucked up once again by trying to help. Maybe I really should just give it up. If it weren’t for me, everyone else would be fine…_

Dack swiveled his head as much as he could, observing his allies from his periphery. Ashiok, Nixilis, and Davriel had grown gravely silent, with no visible shifts in their movement to suggest that they were still trying to break free of their bonds. Tibalt was the only exception, still gnashing his teeth and hurling obscenities at the zombies holding him in a fruitless show of disobedience. While Tibalt’s state of mind was on full display, Dack could only wonder about what the others were thinking.

 _They’re probably thinking of a way out of this. I should be doing that too, I guess. I mean, I can’t screw up any worse than I already have, and I can’t just hope that another miracle rescue is gonna just land in our laps._ A small sigh echoed through his mind, the sentiment only amplifying with each iteration. _By the gods, why didn’t I just fuck off outta this when I had the fucking chance?_

Pushing against the wave of lethargy that swept over his body, an apparent side effect of his active injuries, Dack tried to go back through his mental catalogue of psychometry, desperately searching for the right combination of magic to cobble together an escape.

_The Dispeller’s Capsule could destroy the chain, but it does take a while. If they keep talking like this, who knows? I guess I could also just blow it up now that I don’t give a shit about saving this guy. As for the zombies, I can still try the Torch, but maybe something else would work better. If I could sever Angrath’s control, that might…_

At this point, Dack was completely oblivious to his surroundings. Thoughts whirred like agitated hornets around his brain, with multiple plans unfolding with each passing sentence. Variances made him pause, but never for long. He had always felt that thinking on his feet was a specialty of his, even if he was still on his knees, doubled over in acclimated pain. Slowly, he could feel components of a plan start to click together, puzzle pieces gradually rotating into their proper place. As he felt himself grow closer to a solution, a weak smile began spreading across his stubbled face.

_Yeah, yeah that might work. If only I could let the others know what I’m about to do._

This thought of his allies suddenly brought Dack’s mind out of its blinded state, reintroducing all the outworld stimuli he had shut out. There was a lot to take in all at once, but Dack’s mind instantly focused on one detail that left him both confused and horrified.

_Wait, when did it get so dark out?_

His eyes snapped to the sky, his mind now eschewing escape preparations for wild speculation. Where there had been a wide vista of murky blue earlier that day, Dack now saw a thick layer of black clouds engulfing the sky. They seemed to spread continually outward from some point far in the distance, swallowing the Ravnica heavens with impenetrable darkness. Gradually, the stormfront approached their position, an umbral wall barreling at them as it stole the light from the buildings before him. Dack was transfixed by the sight, and as the shadow washed over them, he could not help but turn away, as if it were going to suck the life from his bones. Instead, it passed without incident, leaving all of them in an artificial night.

There was no pain, only the mild disorientation before his eyes adjusted to the blotted-out sun. As he gradually regained his senses, something new registered across Dack’s entire body. It was something he had trouble describing, but it disturbed him to his very core. It was as if a monster were right behind him, with its icy, otherworldly breath bearing down on him. He did not know what it was, or what it wanted, but he could sense its nature. It was evil, as pure and black as the primordial night. It tensed every muscle in his body.

_What’s going on? The clouds, this feeling, I’ve never felt anything like it. What… what is all this?_

Trying his best to abate the creeping fear that seeped into his pores, Dack turned his head as fast as he could, seeing how the other were reacting to this eldritch occurrence. Before him, the conversation between Domri and Angrath seemed to have been long abandoned. Both planeswalkers’ eyes darted between each other, the gathered crowd, and the freshly darkened horizon. Though their mouths were partially open, neither seemed able to compose anything to say. The rest of the Gruul fared similarly, stock still in anticipation, though their eyes did not dart hither and thither. Instead, they were focused intently on Domri, waiting for their intrepid leader to either explain what was happening or give them an order. Dack could see the unease in their looks, and it only proved to deepen his own sense of trepidation. After all, something that could pause a Gruul riot was not to be taken lightly.

Sweeping past his captors, Dack caught quick glimpses of his allies, with dreadfully predictable results from them all. Ashiok, Davriel, Nixilis, and even Tibalt, had temporarily ceased their struggling to stare as wide-eyed as they could at the altered skyline. Reading their expressions had been difficult for Dack, between Davriel’s mask, Ashiok’s missing features, and the other two’s monstrous faces, but he could somehow sense a vague mist of unease circulating between them. It was not the chilling apprehension that dripped incessantly down Dack’s own spine, from which he was desperately trying to distract himself, but they were still off-kilter. Perhaps they were not scared of what was to come, but they recognized that something was coming, and it could not be good.

While Dack silently observed the others, hoping they would show some signs of understanding or defiance, he noticed a shift in his periphery. It was stark against the stillness of the moment, so Dack was quick to see what had moved. A fresh patch of goosebumps broke out across his skin as he saw it was the zombies, or Eternals as Domri had referred to them, who were beginning to move. The standing ones straightened their posture as if at attention before a general. The ones that held Ashiok, Davriel, and Tibalt kept their positions, but their heads snapped forward and their bodies locked into statue-like rigidity. The reddish tint in their eyes slowly dimmed out, leaving behind nothing but faint purple light in their vacant sockets.

To his surprise, he felt the chains around his chest loosen slightly, as Angrath dropped his arms in confusion. Dack wanted to take in a deep gasp of air now that his lungs had room to expand, but he was too frightened to disturb the unsettling silence brought on by the Eternals’ shift. This seemed to be the consensus, as whatever ambient noise still present after the blackout suddenly vanished, replaced by a vacuum of barren quiet. For a moment, the entirety of the street was frozen, no one daring to break the delicate stillness. Then, the almost serene silence was obliterated as a thunderous, monstrous voice erupted from a tall humanoid Eternal bearing an impressive helm.

_DOMRI, YOU HAVE DONE WELL._

The words resonated psychically from the Eternal’s sealed mouth. Though the transmission was clearly meant for Rade, the telepathic message bored into the minds of every conscious being in the vicinity. Every one of them, including Dack, slunk back at the overwhelming mental presence, but only Domri could recover quickly enough to address the speaker.

“Boss! I wasn’t expectin’ to hear from you anytime soon, but hey, I ain’t complainin’. Glad you like what I’ve done with the place.”

Despite the psychic means of communication, Domri still elected to speak out loud, gesticulating as hectically as if Bolas was standing before him. Dack was unsure if his boss would even hear, but another boom of telepathy confirmed that Bolas was indeed listening.

_YES, YOUR CLAN CAN TRULY TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK. I ALSO SEE THAT YOU HAVE SOME CAPTIVES WITH YOU NOW._

Domri beamed, clearly loving the praise being heaped onto his ego from his draconic master. “Oh, you know it, boss. Got four genuine planeswalkers all here for ya. We were just about to swing them over to the citadel for ya.”

To everyone’s surprise, the next sound that materialized in their brains was not another straightforward command, but rather a bemused, almost piteous exhalation.

_THAT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY, DOMRI._

The smile on Domri’s face drooped slightly, confusion creeping into the creases of his face. “Um, alright. I mean, you’re the boss, after all. So, what do ya want us to do with ‘em?”

The Eternal fully turned to Domri and took a step forward. The creature was taller than the planeswalker, so it tilted its head down as if it were actually addressing him.

_MY ETERNALS WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM. THE ELDERSPELL IS NEARLY COMPLETE, DOMRI. ONE FINAL STEP, AND MY PLAN CAN TRULY BEGIN. FOR IT, I WILL NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE ONE MORE TIME._

This declaration sent a fresh wave of chills down Dack’s back, but Domri’s reaction seemed to completely contradict Dack’s misgivings. The Gruul champion once again had an animalistic grin plastered across his face, and he even straightened his posture before the looming Eternal.

“Well, that’s what I like to hear! Bring on the End-Raze, let Ilharg burn this gods-be-damned city to the fuckin’ bedrock! Can’t wait to meet that glorious hog. So, what d’ya need for me to do, boss? I’m ready for anything!”

Even without Bolas’ physical presence, the telepathic link made the dragon’s demeanor all too clear. Dack could practically see the smile that coiled onto his lips, full of arrogant malice.

_I’M SO GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT. A WILLING VOLUNTEER IS ALWAYS A WELCOME SIGHT._

The Eternals fingers started to curl, as if in preparation of the task to come.

_I NEVER DID EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT THE ELDERSPELL IS FOR, AND I’M FAR FROM SURPRISED THAT YOU NEVER ASKED._

Domri tapped his index finger against his temple, a smug expression playing across his face. “Didn’t even cross my mind to question ya. Whatever it is, as long as it blows this fuckin’ city to bits, I don’t really care.”

Another derisive puff of air echoed through their minds. _WELL, RATHER THAN EXPLAIN, I THINK I SHALL DEMONSTRATE. AFTER ALL, THE ONLY STEP LEFT BEFORE MY PLAN CAN TRULY BEGIN IS TO ENSURE THE SPELL’S POTENCY. SO, THANK YOU, DOMRI RADE, FOR YOUR SERVICE TO MY CAUSE._

As soon as Bolas stopped speaking, the Eternal he had spoken through reached out and grabbed Domri by the throat. He let out a surprised gasp as the Eternal’s fingers closed around his neck, practically throttling him.

“Wait… what the…” Domri barely managed to choke out, his words barely intelligible from the crushing force on his windpipe. Slowly, the Eternal raised him off the street until the tips of his toes dangled helplessly above the cobbles. Domri’s hands shot to his own neck, his abandoned staff clattering to the ground. He wedged his fingers as far as he could into the Eternal’s grip, but no matter how he pulled, he could not alleviate the hold.

 _IT IS POINTLESS TO STRUGGLE,_ Bolas told him, his visceral words carrying a sickening undercurrent of enjoyment. _OF ALL MY SUBJECTS, YOUR ACTIONS WERE ALWAYS THE HARDEST TO PLAN FOR. THE CHAOTIC NATURE OF THE GRUUL, I LOATHE IT. BUT, IN THE END, YOU’VE PROVEN TO BE NO LESS PREDICTABLE THAN ANYBODY ELSE._

Domri did not react to Bolas’ diatribe. Dack doubted whether he was even listening, given how intensely he thrashed about in the Eternal’s grip. He clawed and kicked with a panicked energy, but the Eternal did not budge.

“Angrath…” Domri forced the words with a pained look, as if they were grating against the inside of his esophagus on the way out. “Get this… bastard… off me!”

There was a brief, nearly imperceptible flash of red light in Angrath’s eyes, but it was immediately extinguished, leaving only a look of sorrow. “I… I cannot control it. My powers aren’t strong enough.”

Domri’s eyes bulged at this revelation, and his fervent attacks against the Eternal increased in vigor. It was a fruitless effort, however, as the Eternal, ignoring his actions, raised its free hand. With palm open and fingers bent, the Eternal struck Domri flat in the chest.

The unmistakable sound of bones cracking rang horribly in Dack’s ears, as did Domri’s subsequent, sickening gasp. Dack felt his muscles wanting to shrink away from the sight, but he kept his eyes forward in stunned silence. Domri’s mouth hung open in horror, and though his hands continued to vainly reach for the Eternal’s face, his motions grew more and more sluggish. It was then that Bolas’ voice rang out one final time.

_FEAR NOT, DOMRI, FOR YOUR DREAM WILL YET BE REALIZED. BY THE DAY’S END, RAVNICA WILL BE NOTHING BUT RUBBLE. IT IS A SHAME THAT YOU WILL NOT LIVE TO SEE IT._

The psychic connection was instantly severed, and everyone’s minds went quiet in time to hear an unhallowed draining noise that drowned out Domri’s last gasping laments. An aura of ancient magic blossomed from the Eternal, and its hand now glowed with an ethereal, almost indescribable light. It took a moment for Dack to realize that this energy was not coming from the Eternal, but it was being siphoned from Domri.

 _What the hell is that!?_ Dack internally yelled, eyes widening further than he thought possible. He watched the Eternal slowly, painstakingly pull its hand away from Domri’s bare chest, and as the extracted light grew brighter, Domri’s body shriveled. His skin grew pallid and wrinkled, his appendages fell limp, and his eyes shrunk within his skull. Then, with one final thrust, the Eternal pulled its hand free, snapping off the last of the unknown light. With this finished, the Eternal let go of Domri’s lifeless husk. The desiccated body fell to its feet, too depleted to even make a sound as it landed.

“NOOO!” came a plaintive cry from behind Dack. He did not need to turn around to identify the distinctive voice of Ashiok cutting through the uneasy silence, but the planeswalker’s unusual outburst made him flinch nonetheless.

The light burned in the Eternal’s hand, an alien intensity nearly blinding all who’s gaze had been fixed on Domri’s struggle. Though it was firmly gripped by the Eternal, Dack could feel the mysterious light pulling at his own chest with a somewhat familiar tingle. Dack immediately recognized the sensation, but he did not want to believe it.

_That’s… that’s Domri’s spark._

There was no other explanation. Somehow, this Eternal had pulled Domri’s spark, his essence, his _soul_ , from his very body.

_But that’s impossible! He couldn’t have…_

Dack’s spiraling fear briefly paused, stopped short by another unexpected sight before him. The glow of Domri’s spark was not content to stay crammed in the Eternal’s palm. It burrowed beneath its blue shell and spread up its arm, leaving a trail of diffused light in its wake. It did not stop there, as it made its way through the zombie’s chest and into its head. Its skull lit up like a festival lantern for only a moment before it exploded in a brilliant, plangent display. Now free, the light coalesced into a small globe and flew off through the sky, leaving the decimated Eternal body to fall limply atop the corpse of Domri Rade.

Dack’ eyes tried to follow Domri’s wayward spark, but it was quickly lost above the obstructing rooftops. It did not matter, as Dack kept his gaze skyward, hoping against hope that he could make any sense of what just happened. He was in shock. He knew he was in shock, but knowing that did nothing to help his brain move forward and start processing all this madness. Unfortunately, he would not even have time for that, as his stupor was swiftly broken by a fresh wave of miasma engulfing the street and the simultaneous clattering of the surrounding Eternals advancing towards them, palms outstretched with nefarious intent.

_Shit, I need to get outta here before…_

Dack’s panicked thought was cut short when a sudden weightlessness overtook his chest, followed closely by the clatter of steel links on packed stone. He looked down to see the chains no longer entwined around his chest, as Angrath now reeled them in to use as a weapon against the oncoming Eternals. This gave Dack the opportunity he needed. All his careful planning, all his schemes to escape, instantly evaporated from his mind. Dack sprang up, landing nimbly on the balls of his feet. He did not know if the pain from his broken bones was gone, or if his panic was keeping it at bay, but he did not spare it another second. He let his instincts take over, and without another conscious thought, he burst into the fray.

Even before he started moving, he knew where he was headed. All around, Eternals were shuffling toward him with glowing hands. His thief training immediately kicked in, and Dack ducked and dodged around every Eternal in his path. While he slid around and under the relentless attackers, their visages barely registering in his vision beyond a chromatic blue blur, Dack pulled forth another psychometric spell. His right hand began to illuminate, the bright light eventually forming into a fire, in the shape of Avacyn’s collar. The blaze cast twisted shadows on the oppressive horde reaching out to him. He managed to bob and weave around them all, and it was not long before he spotted his destination. Ashiok, still held by their arms and horns, was emitting a sonorous, inhuman cry as their captors’ hands menacingly glowed with the effects of the Elderspell.

_I sure fucking hope this works._

Dack forced his glowing hand before him, using his other hand to brace his arm. He let loose two blasts from the burning symbol, hitting each of the Eternals holding Ashiok square in the jaw. The flames immediately dissipate upon impact, showing no sign of any damage to the Eternals through their shell. To his relief, however, the Eternals drew away from the purified fire, just as he had hoped. Their spark harvesting was cut off momentarily as the Avacynian torch repelled them, and this lapse was plenty of time for Ashiok to slither out from their grasp. Now free, they raised their arms to the sky with a fantastical flourish, summoning a bevy of shadowy tentacles from beneath their robes that punctured the Eternal’s skulls before Dack had time to blink.

As Ashiok turned to retreat, their face matched Dack’s for a fraction of a second. Neither planeswalker said anything, but Dack still thought that he sensed a modicum of gratitude. It did not last, as Ashiok ran past Dack with tentacles rapidly firing out to clear a path. On a conscious level, Dack wanted to follow Ashiok out of this melee, away from these abhorrent creatures. To his dismay, his subconscious had a hold on his movements, and they urged him forward, skirting him through the overbearing throng until a kneeling, masked silhouette came into view.

Wispy strands of mana were flowing from Davriel’s chest, up his arms, and into the waiting grasp of his Eternal holder. Though he did not appear to be struggling to escape, nor screaming out in pain as Ashiok or Domri had done, Dack knew that there was not much time before his spark was completely removed. Still wielding the fiery emblem, Dack shot another ball of divine flame, which struck true into the Eternal’s eyes. Like the others, the Eternal severed its spell, reaching its hands up to wipe the repellant magic away and freeing Davriel in the process. Without any hesitation, or any acknowledgement of Dack’s heroics, Davriel’s extremities were consumed by swirling inkiness, and he rocketed off the ground.

Dack assumed he was aiming for the rooftops, as far from the threat as possible, but he did not bother to watch Davriel’s escape. Once he heard the blastoff, Dack heaved a hefty sigh and threw himself back in between the scrambling mass of zombies. Though resignation and preservation rang constantly like alarm bells in his mind, and the massive collection of sweat across his brow was beginning to sting in his eyes, he knew that his job was not complete just yet.

One more push from his increasingly achy feet propelled Dack through the sea of Eternals, still reaching out to him too slowly and stiffly to catch him. He treated it as a single mass of cerulean in his field of vision, porous with possible escape routes. The only thought consciously registering was his destination, far from the fight’s epicenter, where Tibalt had been barking at the Eternals. Now, with the volume of the surrounding calamity, Dack could no longer hear the aggravated verbal assaults of that devil, and he silently hoped that this was only because of the other noise. Urged by this thought, Dack reached within, pulled out whatever leftover energy he could spare without fully collapsing, and he pressed himself to move as fast as he could.

The clear pathways between, around, under, and above the Eternals were clear as day, and Dack had no trouble winding through them like strings on a loom. Even with his heightened pace, his intuition guided him until he saw a telltale light from just beyond another group of zombies. He ducked between them, nearly catching his jacket on the gilded belt of a dog-faced Eternal, but deftly extricating it before it could slow him down. As he dodged through, a new sound tickled his ears. It was disturbing, not because of its shrill cadence, but because of its incongruous nature. In this overarching scene of death and chaos, the last thing Dack expected to hear was Tibalt laughing.

Panic set in once more, his heart’s erratic beat matching that of Tibalt’s hysterics. Eventually, he emerged from between the Eternals, incendiary palm ready to fire. Looking down the barrel of his arm, Dack saw the three Eternals still perched atop Tibalt’s heaving frame. The one whose knee ground into his back glimmered brightly from Tibalt’s siphoned mana. Beneath them laid Tibalt’s withering frame, his once sanguine face now sunken in and practically devoid of color. His eyes exaggeratedly bulged as his skin lazily hung from his skull, and his body no longer seemed capable of movement. Despite all this, Tibalt had a stretched smile on his face, and he continued to laugh a coarse, uncomfortable laugh.

As Dack stared down at the grisly sight, his and Tibalt’s eyes met, and the devil’s face lit up with recognition. His laughter stopped, and as his languid features gazed up at Dack, he spoke to him in a disquieting wheeze.

“This is it. The pain that I’ve spent my life searching for. I’ve finally found it. It’s… absolutely exquisite.”

Dack was spellbound, unable to act as the Eternal on Tibalt’s back ripped the spark from his chest with a mechanical heave. Before he faded completely, Tibalt let out a final, prolonged moan, leaving Dack in utter shock pondering if the sound was borne from pain or pleasure. His dried-out face, now slumped lifelessly on the street, left Dack with no answers, only a bitter queasiness in his gut. Once again, he had been too late.

He stared at the Eternal as its arms and chest began to glow with Tibalt’s spark. Despite his wicked nature, his spark still shone brilliantly as it filled the Eternal’s frame. Dack could feel a hearty vein of roiling emotion welling up just beneath the surface of his mind. Flashes of Fiora and Mariel hammered at the thin barrier. He was prepared for it to erupt in a geyser of spiraling depression, but he was interrupted by the sudden feeling of a pair of claws wrapping around his waist.

A jolt of panic shot down his spine, and he frantically tried to recall the Avacynian torch, ready to fend off the Eternal’s grasp. His psychometric focus faltered, however, as he felt his feet lift from the ground, and the ambient noise of the Eternal rampage was briefly overtaken by the hearty beat of wings. Looking up, he saw the glowering, demonic face of Ob Nixilis, who still bore several wayward strands of spider silk along his angular frame. Nixilis did not look down at Dack, his focus entirely on his flight. With Dack firmly in his clutches, Nixilis arced up and, once they were above the street, he banked his trajectory, setting course for the rooftops from which Domri had launched his ambush.

As Nixilis’ flying leveled out, Dack let his shoulders go slack. At this point, there was nothing more he could do but let Nixilis carry him to their destination. He hoped that Ashiok and Davriel would be waiting for him. As they drew closer to the building, Dack cast a glance back to the street. From up above, he could see everything. The Gruul warriors who had accompanied Domri were now gone, having either fled from the area or been splattered across the ground. The Eternals were starting to disperse, no doubt in search of more planeswalkers to reap. To Dack’s surprise, Angrath still stood. He whipped his heated chain in all directions, cutting through Eternals as they continued their advances, but only Dack could see that he was now completely, hopelessly surrounded. As far as he could tell, it was only a matter of time.

Finally, his eyes fell once more on the spot where Tibalt’s body now lay. The Eternal’s head was illuminated with the power of Tibalt’s spark. Dack watched as, like the one who had killed Domri, the Eternal’s head burst like a firecracker, sending the spark flying toward the sky. Dack followed its streaking path, and now, his view was unobstructed. He saw the little ball of light accelerate high over the rooftops, its parabolic path sending it directly to the odd black structure that Dack had seen earlier.

As Dack’s eyes traced out the spark’s path, he saw something else that made his stomach churn. Tibalt’s spark was not alone. Tens of sparks emerged from across the city, dotting the cloudy sky like a meteor shower shining down on Ravnica. Each one a planeswalker’s life, snuffed out by the Elderspell, and at the sight of this massive atrocity, Dack finally gave in and let the tears fall.

**END OF ACT I**


	23. Debt to the Deathless

The musty smell of ancient architecture, the incessant creak of well-trodden boards, the almost painfully ostentatious ornamentation on every single wall and door, and the passing looks of forced reverence. No matter how many times Kaya walked through the halls of Orzhova, she could never quite get used to it. She would rather be anywhere else in the city right now, but she had her mission, and no matter how much every sight and sound within the church made her want to find the nearest window and vault through, she would see it through to the end.

Her eyes listlessly fell on the cowled back of Madame Blaise, her guide within the hallowed halls of the church. The old woman shuffled before her, robes jingling as her myriad gold adornments bobbed with her small strides, filling the otherwise silent corridor with an almost ironic levity. She had come to greet Kaya and Teyo at the front door, followed by an entourage of thrulls that were to dispose of the guards’ bodies. When Kaya told Madame Blaise of her business here, the elderly servitor readily offered to escort the two planeswalkers through the labyrinthine floors. She was not much for conversation, but Kaya was grateful that she was helping at all.

_She’s probably just glad I’m not here to free any more souls…_ Kaya indignantly thought. Besides the sensory overload from the old building, the other thing to which Kaya still could not acclimate was the thick smog of animosity that the Orzhov had for her. Even Madame Blaise, her chief assistant, seemed to only help her perfunctorily. She did not give off the air of resentment that the high priests and advokists did, but Kaya could always feel that, were Blaise given a choice in the matter, she would have surely refused to serve.

_By the Light, I cannot wait to be done with this plane._

Kaya heaved an internal sigh. As her shoulders rose and fell, she felt the weight of it all bearing down on her, both mentally and physically. She had struggled to climb the uncountable number of steps in the church, and she had to work to keep her breathing under control. There was something about being in Orzhova that amplified the crushing force of her Guildpact connection. She did not know if it was proximity to the souls, or simply her mind reacting to the hostile environment. It hardly mattered. She continued to put one increasingly tired foot in front of the other, scuffing the polished floors in the process.

Noticing that her neck was dipping from the ghostly weight, Kaya took a moment to stretch it out. As she slowly rotated it, reveling in the satisfactory pops of her vertebrae, she caught sight of Teyo just behind her. The young mage’s face was the same as it had been when they first stepped through the threshold of the church and into the grandiose foyer. Head held high and constantly moving, mouth slightly open, and eyes wide with amazement. It seemed that, no matter how many new things this boy saw today, he could still be surprised. Kaya could hardly imagine what Teyo’s home must have been like to be impressed by the downright gaudy decadence of the Orzhov. A tiny smirk flashed across her face, accompanied by an odd dose of envy.

_At least someone’s excited to be here…_

Her attention pulled away from her naïve accomplice, and as soon as she returned to her present surroundings, the slight smile on her face vanished altogether. The walls had grown more ornate, if it were possible, the twisted golden accents now choking the life from the purple walls and beams. The lighting was growing more and more diffuse, the ancient chandeliers overhead having grown opaque with age. Worst of all, the corridor was now festooned with portraits of the former leaders of the Orzhov Syndicate. Images of the Obzedat, in both their living and ghostly forms, stared down at her from all angles. She might have suspected that they were haunting her, had she not put a swift end to that herself. To Kaya’s disdain, this knowledge did little to soothe the ulcer being drilled into her stomach by the infinite pairs of painted eyes.

_Gotta look on the bright side, this means we’re finally almost there._

Not a moment after this thought crossed Kaya’s mind, Madame Blaise paused her steps and turned to face them. Without thinking, Kaya held out a hand behind her. Not missing a beat, Teyo ran straight into her hand. He immediately went about righting himself, trying his best to appear presentable in the face of the servitor. It took a good deal of restrain for Kaya’s eyes to keep from rolling at Teyo’s predictability. 

With everyone at attention, Madame Blaise gestured with a withered hand to the imposing door beside her, a gleaming piece of ancient Ravnican craftsmanship adorned with the opalescent sun of the Church.

“Mistress Karlov has already been alerted to your presence,” Blaise explained, voice low and professional. “She should be waiting for you in here.”

Kaya offered the Madame a shallow bow. “Thank you for the assistance.”

“My pleasure, Mistress.” The old woman’s stony face remained unmoved.

“Will you be waiting out here until we’re finished?” Kaya asked.

“I can, Mistress, if that is your request.”

Despite the even tone, Kaya could tell the Madame Blaise had more important things to do than wait around to escort her back outside. Luckily, Kaya agreed with her. “There’s no need for that. I’ll be sure to ring for you if we need anything.” Though she knew that this would not happen, Kaya still felt it necessary to add this last sentence.

The Madame nodded sagely. “Very well. In that case, I shall fetch the cleaners. It seems that someone has been tracking sand throughout our halls. Excuse me, Mistress.”

With a surprisingly spry heel turn, Madame Blaise left Kaya and Teyo standing in front of the towering purple door. Once the servitor was out of sight, Kaya cast a glance at Teyo. Just as she expected, the young man’s tanned cheeks were now a steaming pink. She clapped a reassuring hand on his back.

“Don’t sweat it, kid. Even if they know it was you, they won’t do anything about it.”

Teyo ran a hand up his neck and started nervously fidgeting with his braid. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t want you getting in trouble for my mistakes.”

Kaya quickly stifled a giggle. “You don’t have to worry about that. If these windbags were gonna do something to me, they would have a while ago. I don’t like being in charge here any more than they do, but it does have its perks. Honestly, I should be thanking you for bringing a bit of irritation into their lives.”

The beginnings of a smile appeared on Teyo’s face, and the redness in his cheeks subsided. Seeing this, Kaya removed her hand from his back and gestured with her head to the door.

“Well, the sooner we get in there, the sooner this is over with.”

Taking another step forward, Kaya took hold of the enormous crystal that served as a doorknob. It was heavy, so it took a considerable effort on her part to turn it all the way. Eventually, she heard the soft click of the tumbler, and she opened the door to Teysa Karlov’s private quarters.

The first thing that hit Kaya upon entering the room was the smell. The faint odor of incense-coated decay that permeated the halls of Orzhova was not present in Teysa’s office. Instead, Kaya’s nose was assaulted by a mixture of ink, parchment, and the tiniest metallic hint of blood. Despite her misgivings about the room, these scents were much preferred to the malodorous corridors on the other side of the door.

After Kaya’s installation as leader of the Syndicate, Teysa had gone about renovating her ancestor’s office space to her liking. She had not seen what it looked like before, but she doubted either would suit her tastes. Elaborate furniture lined the walls, chairs and tables outlined laced with gold, ivory, and jet, all polished to a mirror-like sheen. The walls were covered with shelves, each seemingly overburdened with all manner of scroll and book. Any free space on the walls was occupied by antique portraits depicting noble-looking individuals resplendent in Orzhov garb. From the few times Kaya had visited Teysa, she assumed these were pictures of the Karlov family, but she never bothered to ask. The only other free space along the stuffed walls held a large window, its thick purple curtains parted only enough to let a sliver of light shine through. Before this window sat an oversized desk, its surface indistinguishable beneath a loose layer of parchment, and seated behind it was the person Kaya had come to see.

In a room so full of reminders of death, the two living beings situated behind the desk immediately drew the eye. Teysa Karlov, the de facto matriarch of the Orzhov guild, was stooped over the scattered documents littering her desk. She rested in the plush leather of the desk’s armchair, her chin cupped in a gloved hand that was propped up by an elbow on the desk. She wore her traditional high-collared cowl, framed by a set of matching pauldrons, and a sleek grey robe, whose imprint of the Orzhov’s insignia exposed the ghostly pale skin of her upper chest. Had they met under different circumstances, Kaya might have called Teysa attractive, but the scion’s image was too tainted by their interactions to allow such niceties. Standing to her side was the familiar face of Tomik Vrona, her chief advokist and personal assistant. Kaya had met the young man on several occasions since arriving on Ravnica, and his balance of calculating guild member and warm citizen left a favorable impression, despite his closeness with Teysa. At present, the young man was leafing through the scrolls along the back wall, picking them out and putting them back in an effortlessly methodical manner.

As Kaya entered the room, however, both Teysa and Tomik instantly changed their positioning. Rather than lean forward, Teysa reclined back into the chair, striking a pose of indulgent importance. Tomik hastily returned the scrolls he was looking at to their original spots and turned to face the visitor, hands clasped before him and a neutral look on his face.

Teysa gestured to Kaya with a leisurely hand. “Ah, Kaya, do come in. I’ve been told you have something you wish to discuss. I’m rather busy, so please, take a seat and we can begin.” Her hand dipped to indicate the chairs in front of the desk. As Kaya walked into the room, Teyo trailing close behind, she put up her own hand in rejection.

“No thanks, I’d prefer to stand.”

A seething smirk flashed across Teysa’s face, and she slowly shook her head. “How fortunate to have the option.” This statement was acutely punctuated by the rap of her cane striking the hardwood floor. With her free hand, Teysa pointed behind Kaya to Teyo. “And who might this be accompanying you? He doesn’t look like a church member.”

This question surprised the young mage, and he nervously stepped forward and extended his hand over the cluttered desk. “Oh, hi, uh, my name’s Teyo. Teyo Verada. It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Teysa. Or, I mean, Mistress Teysa, sorry.”

Teyo’s hand hung in the air for a few seconds, with Teysa making no move to accept the gesture. She merely maintained eye contact with Teyo, her icy stare boring into his skull until he took the hint and retreated to Kaya’s side once again. She felt bad for Teyo, since his naïve disposition had been a bright spot in an otherwise dark day, but she had warned him multiple times about Teysa’s attitude, so it should have come as no surprise.

“He’s a planeswalker,” Kaya quickly explained, “from the plane of Gobakhan. He’s been helping me out today, so I figured he could come along. That okay with you?”

“Of course,” Teysa responded. Her eyes darted up and down, looking Teyo over with obvious judgement. “Another planeswalker in our midst, hmm? Watch out Tomik, it seems your replacement has finally arrived.”

A light laugh, like a windchime, escaped from Teysa’s curled lips. Kaya’s eyes darted to Tomik, and she watched him shift uncomfortably in his spot. His hands now twiddled with unease, and he ran his fingers around the red strip of fabric that hung tightly to his wrist.

“Yeah, yeah, real funny,” Kaya sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. She fixed her gaze on Teysa once again, trying as best she could to muster an authoritative look. “This shit’s between you and me, no need to drag Tomik into this.”

“Oh, it’s fine, Mistress Kaya,” Tomik mutely responded. He offered a slight nod to her, then one to Teyo as he spoke. “Though, if I may say, I’m a little surprised that this young man is the only one accompanying you.”

Kaya immediately understood what he meant. The pleading look in his eyes, hidden beneath his bureaucratic shell, told all. He dared not be explicit in front of Teysa, but it was clear as crystal that he was worried about Zarek. She knew of their relationship and of the consequences should two high-profile individuals from different guilds be exposed as such. She attempted to soften her look before answering the young man’s silent plea.

“Yes, there’s been a change of plans, so to speak. Myself, Guildmaster Zarek, and Lavinia have split up in the face of the new issues today has presented, cover more ground. They should be reporting back to me any minute.”

“And what of Miss Hekara?”

Kaya paused, the question catching her off guard. Her voice grew somber. “We had an incident last night while finishing the preparations for the Interplanar Beacon. Hekara didn’t make it. Her body is still with the Beacon.”

She watched Tomik’s pupils dilate at the tragic news, though she knew it was not directly related to Hekara’s death. The two had not shared much time, but Kaya understood how the razorwitch’s attitude rubbed off on people. What she had neglected was Tomik’s unawareness of Bolas’ initial attack and how the others might have fared.

“It’s all fine now,” she quickly reassured. “The Beacon is up and running, and no one else was hurt during the process.”

Tomik gave an understanding, understated nod to Kaya’s admission. For an imperceptible moment, she saw a look of relief fill Tomik’s face before it returned to its professional stoicism. She smiled inwardly, glad to help one of the few people on this plane that did not seem to hate her guts.

“So,” Teysa impatiently piped up, clearly eager to get this affair over with, “why exactly have you interrupted my work today? Or do you simply enjoy wasting my precious time?”

Kaya felt the tendons in her fingers reflexively curl with indignation, but she knew the importance of restraint here. “No, I’m here to ask for your help.”

Again, a look of pure derision bloomed on Teysa’s face. “Why, my most competent Guildmaster, whatever do you need my help for?”

“Have you looked outside today?” Kaya responded, allowing an inkling of her incredulity slip into her tone. “Zombies from another plane of existence are running through the streets and killing everyone they can!”

Teysa looked over to Tomik with a knowing glance. “Yes, I am fully aware of the situation. We’ve seen quite the uptick in soul collection today, isn’t that right?” Tomik nodded in confirmation as she returned her gaze to Kaya. “Well, these zombies, as you put it, have not breached the Church’s security, nor have they killed any of our most devout followers or members. If you’re here for my opinion, I do not think this is a matter for the Church. Let the other guilds do what they want, but I would say to leave it be. There’s no point wasting our gold on another’s problem.”

She expected such a response, but that did not stop Kaya’s face from creasing further into a contentious scowl. Such brash disregard for life could only be found within these sacred walls. Kaya could feel her ability to maintain decorum slipping, but she needed to press forward.

“We’re trying to alert the other guildmasters as well. We have teams on their way now to meet with the Selesnya, Izzet, and I believe Simic and Boros as well. Even with them helping, it won’t be enough. The Orzhov need to help protect this plane, no matter the cost.”

There was a pause once Kaya finished, as the two women stared each other down. Kaya hoped that this might persuade Teysa even a little, but the scion’s eyes lulled in disinterest as soon as she fell silent.

“Well, it seems to me that you’ve already made up your mind, then. I don’t know why this required meeting with me. Go on, waste even more of our resources as you see fit, but if you have no need for my service, kindly leave me to work in peace.”

Her free hand waved idly towards the door, shooing the two planeswalkers out as if they were a pair of foxes in her gilded henhouse. Kaya stood stock-still, her dark eyes not moving from Teysa’s. Her companion, however, did not seem to fully understand the situation. At Teysa’s beckoning, Kaya heard the scuffle of Teyo’s moccasins as he turned back towards the door, presumably ready to help her with rallying the troops.

“Hold on, Teyo,” she called out behind her, “we’re not leaving yet.”

She heard his footsteps stop midway to the door, then turn once more to face her.

“Oh, sorry,” came Teyo’s embarrassed voice as he reapproached them. “I figured you didn’t want to spend too much time here, and Miss Teysa said you can do what you want, so…”

Kaya let out a sigh, hoping it would be quiet enough to spare Teyo’s feelings. “Unfortunately, we can’t go anywhere yet.”

“And why is that?” Teysa asked, her unassuming tone now undercut with a tinge of disgust. “I have much work to do with all these new souls coming in, you know. It’d be much simpler for everyone if you let me be.”

Kaya’s fists balled, and she struck a heavy stance. “I’m not going anywhere until the Church is helping to fight these zombies and keep Ravnica from burning to the ground.”

“I don’t think I quite understand, Kaya,” Teysa evenly said with an devilish smirk. “If you want the Church to fight pointlessly in the streets, then by all means, command them to do so. After all, you are the guildmaster here, aren’t you?”

There it was. The words, the tone, the reprehensibly smug look on Teysa’s face. It was the culmination of everything Kaya had dealt with since killing the Obzedat that made her just want to punch Teysa square in the face. Her restraint already wearing thin, Kaya could feel her fingers inching towards her belt and her magic pressing against her mental barriers.

“You know damn well that I can’t do that,” she glowered, taking a contentious step forward. “I may hold the title, but no one in this place will listen to me. They only listen to you, and you know that.”

Teysa waved her hand in feigned confusion. “I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re implying, Kaya. The members of the Church are not beholden to me by any means. I merely offer suggestions. If they choose to follow my words, well, I can’t really do much about that, can I?”

“Cut the crap already, would you!?” The levee was starting to crack, raw emotion trickling out at an ever-increasing pace. She tried to plug it, to keep things civil, but Teysa’s dynamitic words were steadily wearing her defenses down. “It’s been the same damn story since I became the guildmaster. I want to help, you get in my way, and then you play it off like a fucking joke. I never even wanted to oversee this idiotic guild, but since my only options are to lead or die, I’m going to keep leading. So, could you put aside the petty bullshit for once in your life and help keep the city from getting annihilated? Is that too much to ask!?”

The room dropped into deadly silent, broken up only by the sounds of Kaya’s heavy panting. She had not realized how out of breath she was until she finished the unintentional tirade, but now her chest felt particularly tight. She wanted to sit down and catch her breath, but now was no time to back down. She kept standing, a look of determination masking her exhaustion.

Her focus remained on Teysa as she waited for a response, and it seemed to Kaya that hers was not the only façade with visible cracks. There was no more smirk, no more superiority or condescension. Now, there was only a deep-seated bitterness etched into her pale face.

“How dare you.” Teysa’s free hand dropped to her chair’s armrest, and her fingers clenched into the shaped wood. She pushed herself up into an intimidatingly straight posture, the end of her cane scraping on the floor from the effort. “How dare you speak of the Church in such a way! You think that your title allows you to insult my family’s legacy? Forgiving the debts that were mine to collect, wearing the armor that was mine to wear. You’re nothing but a witless usurper. You know nothing of this guild, so you would be wise to bite your tongue.”

As this final declaration flew from Teysa’s pursed lips, Kaya was suddenly overcome by a harsh, deep-seated dread. It felt almost otherworldly, a primordial gloom flooding her conscious mind.

_Wha…what the hell is this feeling? Is this coming from her? This is…unnatural. Maybe this is what she means by her family’s legacy. Those spirits never did me any good, but for their favorite descendent…_

Kaya swallowed hard, trying to keep it discrete against Teysa’s wrathful gaze. She tried to shake off the fearsome aura as best she could, but its effects lingered even in the silence. It took some doing, but her building frustration eventually breached the surface of her mind, past the suffusing malevolence, and she returned her full focus to the woman sitting before her.

“You know, Teysa, I didn’t expect anything else from you after all the shit I’ve put up with here. But I figured, maybe this once, with the apocalypse incoming, you’d be willing to put it aside and help. You talk about me wasting your time, and yet you’re the one who’s wasting mine.”

Much to Kaya’s surprise, Teysa let out a low chuckle at this, accompanied by a slight swivel of her head.

“Even now, your obliviousness astounds me,” she pointedly stated, each word punctuated by an impatient drumming of her fingers against the top of her cane. “You say you knew that I would not help you, and yet here you come anyway, empty-handed as usual. You sought my help, knowing where I stand, and what did you offer me? Nothing but meaningless platitudes of guild strength and Ravnican unity. All worthless. We do not call this The Church of Deals for nothing, Kaya. As the supposed leader, you should have learned this by now.”

Kaya flung a hand forward in exasperation. “Well, what the fuck do you want, then?”

Teysa swiftly responded, puffing out her chest in a near-animalistic show of intimidation. “I want what is rightfully mine!”

“And this is why I didn’t offer you anything, because the only thing you want is the one thing I can’t give you!” Kaya’s arms gesticulated wildly, accentuating her uroboric irritation. “Before, even if I could have, I didn’t want to give you the power because you’re nothing but a cold, heartless bitch. Now, I’m desperate enough that I would if I could, but too fucking bad for both of us, right?”

Despite Kaya’s assertion, a chilling smile appeared on Teysa’s face. “I’m so glad to hear you say that,” she practically cooed. “If you’re willing to give up your seat as Orzhov’s guildmaster, then I’m sure we can work something out.”

Kaya stopped moving, a clear look of confusion crossing her face. “I already told you, I’m not giving this up if it means I die. I still have plenty of life left in me, even if I’m stuck here for the interim.”

“Yes, yes, I’m well aware of that. You needn’t worry, that should not be an issue.”

For a moment, Kaya thought she heard wrong. She blinked rapidly, attempting to reset her senses and remove any doubt. “Wait, are you telling me that there’s a way to transfer the guildpact connection without killing me?”

Teysa took a moment to lean back comfortably in her chair, a clear sign of her emerging dominance in the exchange. “That is precisely what I’m saying.”

“Then why the fuck didn’t you say something sooner?” Kaya accused, both hands reflexively throwing her skepticism straight at Teysa. “This seems a bit too convenient for my tastes.”

Teysa’s enjoyment in having the upper hand quickly evaporated, replaced with her trademark disdain. “This is not some mere convenience. What do you think Teyo and I have been doing since your arrival, hm? What do you suppose all of this is for?” She held her hands wide, encapsulating the mess of papers on her desk. “We have been searching, tirelessly, for the proper transferal ritual. I knew it must exist somewhere, and we only recently uncovered the outline in the archives. We would have alerted you earlier, but you were a bit preoccupied with your little schemes with Guildmaster Zarek and company.”

Kaya suddenly felt overwhelmed. Her head started to swim, as the indignation of Teysa’s dismission of her and Ral’s efforts battled against the intrigue of Teysa’s news. It took a moment to regain control of her senses, at which point, a cautious optimism emerged as victor.

“So, you’re saying there is a way to transfer the Guildpact link without killing me, but you haven’t found the whole thing just yet?”

Teysa nodded. “It would appear so, though I cannot guarantee you would come out of it completely unscathed. From our initial research, the process does appear to be rather time-consuming and quite draining, but this has yet to be confirmed. Once we are finished here, Tomik is off to the archives again to follow whatever leads we have.”

“Well then,” Kaya mutely added, putting her hands on her hips in contemplation, “that sounds like exactly what both of us are looking for, but I can’t exactly wait around here until you finish your research. We need boots on the ground now, otherwise there may not be a Church to lord over after today.”

Teysa’s shoulders heaved as another small laugh escaped her lips. “Your well of pessimism never dries, does it? Very well. I will put my full support behind this needlessly wasteful plan of yours, on the condition that you sign this.”

Teysa snapped her fingers, and Tomik immediately produced a scroll from his satchel. He delicately placed it in her free hand, then moved to take hold of her cane. Wordlessly, Teysa removed the black string from around the piece of parchment and unfurled it on top of the mess currently occupying her desk. She smoothed the edges down with both hands before turning it over for Kaya to see.

The off-white parchment was nearly black with ink, as sprawling clauses and stipulations lay before Kaya’s startled eyes, all written in an ornamental, nigh-unreadable font. She scanned the document for a moment or so, and the only thing she managed to understand were the two lines near the bottom where signatures would go. Her face must have conveyed her confusion, as Teysa eventually spoke up to explain.

“You’re free to keep reading, of course, but it’s a fairly simple Church contract. It merely stipulates that, upon both of us signing, I will agree to whatever commands you put forward as the ruling party of the Orzhov until such time that the transferal of power can be performed. If either of us decide to disobey the contract, then our soul is forfeit to the other. I hope that condition is acceptable, as I have no plans to relinquish my spirit to you.”

Kaya lifted her eyes from the cryptic page and saw no inkling of deceit on Teysa’s face. This did little to settle her wariness, as she knew by now how adept the scion was at masking her true intentions. Instead, she turned her gaze to Tomik.

“Have you read through this thing?” she asked him, ignoring the insulted look that briefly flashed across Teysa’s features.

“Yes,” he answered with a purposeful nod, “I assisted Teysa in the drafting of this document. Everything is in order, just as she said. Once you sign, your only obligation will be your participation in the transfer ritual, which will be some other day. You’ll be free to return to your mission right after this.”

“Well said, Tomik,” Teysa added with a slight huff, “though I’m a bit insulted that you felt the need to make him repeat what I’ve already said.”

Finally, it was time for Kaya to offer a smirk of her own. “You can never be too careful with these kinds of things, right?”

“I suppose I can’t argue with that. So, does that mean we have an agreement?”

Kaya took one last look at the contract before her, the twin columns of words staring back at her like a pair of mysterious monoliths. She could feel something in the back of her mind nagging at her, telling her she should reconsider, but at the forefront of her mind, she knew there was no time to waste on such caution. Pragmatism, she knew, always came at a cost.

“Yes,” she answered, trying hard to reinforce the timbre of her voice, “we have a deal. I’ll sign this, and the Orzhov join the fight.”

Teysa clapped her hands together in what Kaya could only assume was an expression of genuine excitement. “Excellent! Then, Tomik, please fetch the ceremonial quills.”

“Right away, Mistress,” Tomik said with a slight bow. He quickly stepped out from behind the desk and moved across the room to the left wall. Kaya watched as he opened a small box on one of the high shelves, retrieved something from within, and shuffled back to his position by Teysa’s side. Once there, he extended his hands, offering a feather-tipped quill to each of them. While Teysa readily took the pen from Tomik, Kaya hesitated for a moment before following suit.

She turned the quill over in one hand, examining the colorful implement. The plume was a soft gold at its end, but it transitioned into a vibrant pink as it neared the tip. The colors felt out of place to Kaya, this natural radiance clashing with the garish taste of the Orzhov. She dared not imagine just how many contracts this feather has touched, how many souls it damned.

“Shall we begin, then?” Teysa beckoned from her chair, voice now cool and collected in her natural state of contract arbitration.

“Yeah, sounds good.” She raised the quill in her hand but paused as her eyes searched the desk’s surface. “Um, do you have an ink well somewhere, or do we need to go get one?”

Apparently, this was not a question Teysa wanted to hear, as she let out an exacerbated sigh in response. “You still haven’t learned anything about the organization, have you? A contract such as this cannot be signed with mere ink. It needs something more, something personal to bind the soul of the signer. Magic, after all, has no power without intent.”

Before Kaya could ask for an explanation, Teysa opened a drawer in her desk and drew a short dagger from within. Its blade was polished to a mirror shine, and its gilded handle curled and twisted like a thorny vine seeking the sun. Silently, she slipped the glove off her free hand and handed it to Tomik. Then, she delicately pushed the dagger’s point into the tip of her middle finger. She withdrew it after a moment, placing the dagger on the table and sliding it over to Kaya expectantly. The planeswalker watched as Teysa pressed at the side of the finger with her thumb until a small bubble of blood coalesced on the tip. As the droplet continued to grow, she seized the quill in her other hand and dipped the point into the blood.

“I got it,” she said, holding up a hand in rejection to the offered blade. Teysa shrugged, and Tomik readily retrieved the dagger and returned it to Teysa’s desk. As she waited, quill and bleeding finger poised at the ready, Kaya unclasped her own enchanted dagger from her belt. Reticently, she followed Teysa’s example, drawing a small reservoir of blood from the tip of her middle finger and dipping her quill in to absorb what it could.

With one final examination of the quill tip, ensuring it was coated with enough blood to complete the job, Kaya stooped over the contract and quickly etched her signature into the awaiting byline. When she finished, she placed the quill on Teysa’s desk and turned the contract around for her to add her own signature. She signed with an energy and flourish that comes from years of experience, and Kaya could not help but notice the ever-growing smile on her face.

“Well, there we are,” Teysa lilted as she removed her pen from the paper. Tomik moved to take back the quills and return them to their shelf, while Teysa put her pricked finger to her lips. Kaya opted to press her thumb into the small wound on her fingertip, hoping it would be enough to stem the bleeding. After a moment, Teysa removed her finger from her lips, slipped her long glove back over her hand, and folded her arms over her desk.

“There, the deal has been set. Once our signatures have dried, I’ll send my thrulls out to inform our members of your call to arms. They should be on the streets within the hour. Now, is there anything else you want from me, or may Tomik and I finally return to our work?”

This was not what Kaya expected. The buildup, the anxiety, the sweat accumulating on the nape of her neck, she expected it all to lead to something big. But there was no blowback from her signing the contract. No ethereal shackle wrapping around her wrists, no ghouls descending to harvest her soul. All she felt was the same dread from earlier, which had receded to a dull pall across her body. It was uneventful, a curiosity considering today’s events, and the only thing she could do was accept it.

“No, that’s all. C’mon Teyo, let’s head out.”

She turned on her heel and started for the ornate doorway. Teyo walked by her side, silently marveling at the office’s interior one last time. Before Kaya even opened the doors and left, she could hear Teysa and Tomik getting back to work.

The hallway outside Teysa’s door was vacant as they stepped out. Kaya mentally noted that Madame Blaise must still be cleaning up, and she felt a laugh flutter through her mind.

“So,” Teyo spoke up, interrupting Kaya’s thought, “we got what we came for, right?”

Kaya shrugged her shoulders, the bronze armor sending rippling clangs up and down the deserted corridor. “I guess we did.”

At this news, a bright, relieved smile broke out across Teyo’s face. “Thank the Suns. Things got pretty scary in there, and I didn’t really follow what was going on, but that’s good. I guess that means we need to find Mister Beleren and let him know.”

Kaya, infected by the young man’s positivity, let her own smile breach her features. “Yeah, but we need to make one more stop while we’re here.”

Teyo cocked his head in confusion. “Uh, ok, what do we need here?”

With a dramatic gesture, Kaya raised and lowered her hands along the sides of her body. “I need to change out of this stupid armor. I’m tired of it weighing me down.”

Kaya emerged from her bedchambers with an unnecessarily enthusiastic swing of the door. The crystal doorknob slammed into the crown molding of the adjacent wall, sending a ruinous noise through the vacant hall. Across from the doorway, she saw Teyo jump with surprise, nearly falling over from her dramatic entrance. The sight of the young monk, eyes bulged and hand grasping at his robes, was enough to bring a light laugh forth.

“Sorry about that, Teyo,” she managed to force out in between giggling fits. “Guess I got a little excited.”

It took a moment for Teyo to regain his composure, which involved a lot of gasping for air and nonchalantly straightening his clothes. “No, that’s all me, I just wasn’t expecting it. It’s so quiet out here, I kinda zoned out, sorry. I’ll be fine. So, how do you feel now?”

Kaya looked herself up and down, taking in the new outfit, though she realized that old outfit would be more accurate. Gone was the ostentatious ensemble of the Orzhov, with its gleaming breastplate, gauntlets, and belt, all accented by an impractical black-and-white cape. It was now replaced by a leather jacket, the worn brown of its body and faded black of its hood and pauldrons betraying its age. She twisted her body slightly, letting the three belts that kept it secure around her waist jingle loosely as they flowed, and she heaved a deep sigh.

“I feel like myself again.” Kaya wanted to revel in the sensation a bit longer, to really feel the lessened weight of the Church, but she knew they did not have the time. She clapped her hands together to collect Teyo’s attention. “Alright, no sense in staying around here any longer. We need to find the others and let them know that we’ve secured the Orzhov’s help.”

Having finally composed himself, Teyo nodded in affirmation. “Do we need to wait for Madame Blaise to escort us out?”

“What? Nah, we’ll be fine. I know the way out from here. Let’s leave Madame Blaise to her other duty. She’ll probably need to extra time to pick up all the stray sand grains.”

Though Kaya laughed at her own joke, it only brought a fresh shade of rosiness to Teyo’s cheeks. She saw this and gave him a strong pat on the back. “Lighten up, kid. We managed to do our job without… too much trouble, and now we don’t have to deal with this place again until we’ve beaten back those Eternals. It ain’t over, but I count this as a win, so c’mon.”

Without waiting for a response, Kaya started walking away from her office doors and down the echoing corridor. She waved her hand as an indication to catch up, and though it took Teyo a moment to realize what was happening, he eventually sped up to meet her.

“I don’t know about ‘we’,” Teyo said in between pants, “I didn’t really do anything in there. You handled everything, Miss Kaya.”

Kaya cast a wry look down at the young man and shrugged, deftly turning a corner as she did. “Don’t sweat it, Teyo, you did exactly what you needed to do. After all, I don’t know if I could’ve gotten in here in the first place without you and all that fancy shieldwork of yours.”

Teyo’s face reddened, a clear look of awkwardness present as he processed the unexpected compliment. “Um, well, thank you for saying so, Miss Kaya. That was nothing, though, really. You had to face Teysa head-on. I didn’t realize just how terrifying she would be. I wish I could’ve done more.”

“Thanks, kid, but you did more than enough by just sitting there and letting me sort my own shit out. And yeah, Teysa can be a bit overdramatic, but she isn’t really that scary. Trust me, I’ve seen way worse in my line of work.”

Kaya heard an audible gulp come from Teyo, just louder than their footsteps as they tromped down a winding set of stairs. “Oh wow,” he muttered, half in awe and half in fear, “I can’t even imagine that. There were plenty of scary things on Gobakhan, like the diamond storms, or rogue djinns, or dust elementals, but I’ve never been as scared as I was just now in that office. I mean, I could just feel something bad coming over me. I don’t know how to describe it, but it just felt evil, like an angry spirit or something. Even right now, I still kinda feel it.”

As Teyo spoke of what he felt, Kaya felt her chest tighten. _So, he felt that too, huh?_ She knew what he was describing, that overwhelming, malevolent haze that she had just experienced. Even now, as far and long away from Teysa’s office as she was, the sensation still nipped at her heels, dulled but not truly gone. In truth, she had been trying her best to ignore the steeping wickedness around her, forcing an air of levity into their interaction, but Teyo’s reminiscing brought it all back to the forefront.

_Dammit, even after all that, Teysa’s still got her nails in me, and she got the poor kid too. Ugh, can’t fucking wait to just get out of here._

Recognizing the futility of dwelling on it, Kaya let out a breath and offered Teyo a dismissive response. “I’m sure that’ll pass. Probably just all the ghosts hanging out in here, so we should be good once we leave.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense…”

Teyo’s voice trailed off, which made it hard for Kaya to know what he was thinking. She suspected that he was still unconvinced about whatever this feeling was, so she quickly added:

“Trust me, Teyo, it all comes with the territory. You’ve been doing great on your first planeswalker outing, so you’ll get used to this kind of shit before too long.”

Kaya anticipated a verbal response from Teyo, but when none came after a few seconds, she cocked her head to the side to observe her companion. This time, as he walked through the halls of Orzhova, his eyes were not frantically darting about, trying to absorb the fanciful sights around him. Now, his eyes were cast slightly down, and his face conveyed that he was deep in thought. Kaya wanted to press him about whatever was troubling him, but she thought better of it and kept walking forward.

The two traveled the labyrinthine corridors and stairwells of the Church for a few minutes in relative silence, only the clicking of Kaya’s boots and the padding of Teyo’s slippers generating any sound. It was not until they began descending the grand stairwell that cleaved through the Church’s center and into the main foyer, that Teyo’s voice popped the placid bubble around them.

“Um, Miss Kaya, can I ask you something?” His voice was unusually shaky, even from what Kaya had heard so far today. She tried her best to keep her voice warm, chasing away any leftover unease.

“Yeah, Teyo, go on ahead. We’re almost out of here, if that’s what you’re asking, just gotta get to the end of the stairs.”

Teyo shook his head in denial. “No, not that. I… I wanted to ask about something that Teysa’s assistant mentioned, just before the meeting. He said you were working with someone else, someone named Hekara.”

“Yeah,” Kaya answered, the single word stretched long with a knowing discomfort.

“She was…” Teyo swallowed hard, obviously struggling to force the words out. “She was the woman I saw in the tower when I first arrived, right? The… the dead one?”

Kaya heaved a sigh, one borne from a tiredness of reliving the events of the previous night. “Yeah, that was her. She was our Rakdos representative from the first time we tried rallying the guilds. She was annoying as all hell, but she was a big help in our efforts, at least until that stupid gorgon messed everything up…”

Kaya’s voice trailed off as she realized the bite in her tone. She looked back to Teyo, who now had a tinge of confusion on his face. Kaya did her best to move past it with a wave of her hand. “Don’t worry about all that. Now’s not really the time. Why the sudden interest in Hekara?”

“I guess,” Teyo haltingly began, searching for what to say, “this was the first time someone mentioned her since I got here. You, Mister Zarek, Miss Lavinia, none of you talked about her, even when we had to leave her body in the tower.”

Without thinking, Kaya jumped in defensibly, “Yeah, it’s been a bit hectic since last night. We’ve been on the move since you got here, and stopping Bolas is top priority now.”

“No, no, no, I get that,” Teyo frantically cut in, waving away any blame he had unwittingly foisted on Kaya. She let her shoulders sag, backing down her defenses as Teyo continued. “It’s just that, I don’t know, she was your friend or ally or something, and now she’s dead and… does this ‘all come with the territory’ too?”

Suddenly, as the two reached the end of the staircase and stood in the lavish Church foyer, a rush of understanding burst into Kaya’s brain. Memories of her past flashed before her eyes, and Teyo’s emotional shift instantly made sense. She reached out and put a tender hand on Teyo’s shoulder, stopping them both mere feet from their destination. “That was your first time seeing a dead body, wasn’t it?”

The shieldmage’s eyes widened with surprise, then closed as he curtly nodded in affirmation. “Yeah,” he practically whispered, “I’ve never seen anything like that. I’ve seen plenty of bad injuries when I had to work in the infirmary, and I’d seen all kinds of destruction from, like, diamond storms, but never anything like that. Y’know, with all the blood and everything. And then you all just ignored it, like it wasn’t a big deal. I just… I don’t know if I’m cut out to be a planeswalker if that’s what it’s like.”

“Listen up, kid,” Kaya raised her voice, the assertion clearly catching Teyo off guard. “I’m sorry you had to see all that. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through, thrust into all this at probably the worst possible time. But that’s just it, this may be bad, but after this, being a planeswalker is gonna be great. I know it seems it now, but it’s not all wanton death and destruction. I’ve seen a lot of people die over the years, so it’s easy for me to shrug it off when there’s something else pressing to do, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Don’t let it ‘all come with the territory’. Caring about others is great, and that alone makes you better than most planeswalkers I’ve met. You’re a good kid, Teyo, and I think you’re more than on your way to being a great planeswalker.”

As Kaya stared into the young mage’s eyes, she could see a thin layer of moisture starting to accumulate. Before any tears could fall, Teyo closed his eyes and gave Kaya an emphatic nod accompanied by a bright, genuine smile.

“Thanks, Miss Kaya,” he managed to say through a small quiver in his voice, “that means a lot. Today’s just been so much so fast.”

Kaya gave him another hearty pat on the back before removing her hand. “Tell me about it, but at least we finished our business here. We’ll beat Bolas out of here in no time, and when this is all over, I’m taking you for a drink, my treat.”

“Um, I’ve never really had a drink before, between my age and my monk training…”

“Well, the choice is yours now. Just another perk of being a planeswalker.”

With a bounce in her step, Kaya approached the towering double doors that led out of the cathedral. She heard Teyo’s light footsteps just behind her, and they too sounded less bogged down than they had. Smiling, she wrapped a hand around the knob and threw open the door, ready to move on to the next mission. Nothing could prepare her, however, for the scene unfolding just outside the Church’s walls.

She knew they hadn’t been inside for that long, and yet, it seemed that nighttime had already swallowed the plane. Unnaturally dark clouds hung in the sky, cloaking the Church, the square, and the city from her vision. The only thing breaking up the vast panorama of blackness above was a smattering of small, twinkling lights. She thought for a moment that they may be stars, but she realized, with a drip of fear trickling down her back, that stars do not move across the sky nearly that fast. And though her eyes perceived all of this, taking in the scene within a single second, her senses were mostly overwhelmed by a familiar feeling. The deep smog of arcane evil that she had sensed in Teysa’s office was back in full force, no longer a thin shroud but a heavy, suffocating blanket. Her mind started to buzz as it tried to process this new, wholly unsettling scene, and only one conscious thought was able to stay afloat: it seemed that, while they were away, the apocalypse had truly started.

“Um, Miss Kaya,” came Teyo’s uneven voice, his confidence from a moment ago already gone, “this isn’t because of us, is it?”

With her mouth agape, Kaya could only force out a small whisper of a response: “Gods, I hope not.”


	24. Bitter Revelation

Throughout her storied past, Liliana Vess had seen so much. She had witnessed death many times over. Men, monsters, gods, and horrors; she had seen the destruction they could wreak and the bitter ends they could meet. Before her world-weary eyes, planes had burned, drowned, calcified, putrefied, and perished from the Multiverse. Devastation had always been a constant in her life, something her heart had hardened against after all this time. Nothing, however, could have prepared her for this.

She had sensed Bolas rising from the Citadel long before he emerged. The overwhelming stink of archaic magic nearly gagged her, but she managed to maintain composure. The Elder Dragon did not communicate anything as he landed on the rooftop behind her. Instead, she felt a growing miasma emanating from Bolas, something bubbling and building that caused even her cold, pale skin to stand on end. Then, the bubble burst, and she felt her command over the Dreadhorde suddenly shift. She was no longer in complete control. Her orders were still being carried out, and she could still see and manipulate the Eternals through the Chain Veil, but she was not alone. Inside the head and heart of every zombie, Bolas’ magic was right beside her. She knew this was coming, that the Elderspell would be joining her to enact the next phase of Bolas’ ascension, but she did not know exactly what it would do until she saw it with her own eyes.

Domri Rade, a loathsome brute of a boy, died at the hands of one of her Eternals. Not just died, though, not like any death Liliana had ever seen before. His Spark extracted, his body and soul both drained of their essence with a simple grip from a zombie’s hand. All the while, Bolas’ sadistic voice rang in his, and Liliana’s, ears. She felt his Spark enter the Eternal, filling it with a chaotic, uncontrollable energy. In the moment before the zombie exploded, releasing Domri’s Spark into the wind, she could almost feel the young mage’s presence.

Liliana bore no affection for Rade, his cretinous existence having been a thorn in her side since she arrived on Ravnica, but as she looked through the eyes of that Eternal and saw his last moments, a pang of sympathy echoed through her body. No matter how barbarous and foul he was, no matter how many times Liliana had contemplated feeding him to her ghouls, even he did not deserve this. No planeswalker deserved this.

And yet, Domri was only the beginning.

With his Spark, the full power of the Elderspell ignited, and her field of vision was now filled to the brim with the same sickening sight. In an instant, random people in the streets were illuminated in a golden light. She did not fully comprehend it, but she could almost feel the pull of their Spark from that light. These were the planeswalkers, summoned by the Beacon, trapped by the Sun, and now identified by the Elderspell. It attracted the Eternals like moths to a flickering flame, but it was not the Eternals who would suffer from the blaze.

For many of the planeswalkers in the city, their realization was too late. Across Ravnica, from the Rubblebelt to Dinrova, if a planeswalker was within the grasp of an Eternal, they were as good as dead. The look on Domri’s face as his life was ripped from his body was now repeating, over and over, consuming her view through the Chain Veil. These were faces she did not recognize, hailing from every corner of the Multiverse. No matter where they were from or what they could do, the looks on their faces were all the same, and Liliana only needed one word to describe it.

_Terror. That’s all there is. There’s no fighting, no pleading, no praying. As soon as the Eternal has their Spark, they give it all up. There’s nothing left for them but pure terror._

She wanted to throw up. The brutal scenes through the zombies’ eyes, the eldritch pall of the Elderspell, the brief sensation of each slain planeswalker as the Eternal processed the Spark. It was all too much too fast. Even within the span of her last thought, another crop of planeswalkers were harvested. A vedalken mage in a flowing silver robe, a towering elven woman strapped in barkskin, a four-armed ogre with a sledge for each hand, a lizardman with arms and legs made completely of sculpted jade, an ancient crone with a pitch-black staff…

_BEAUTIFUL, ISN’T IT?_

The sudden appearance of Bolas’ snarling voice in Liliana’s mind caught her completely off guard. Every muscle in her body went rigid, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach, smart enough to risk burning in acid rather than deal with the Elder Dragon. It took her a moment to regain her senses, to shift the control of the Dreadhorde away from the forefront of her thoughts, but once it was done, she turned to face her captor.

Even though she had heard Bolas touch down behind her, her focus had been elsewhere. Now, she saw just what was happening on the top of the Citadel, and it sent a reflexive shudder through her whole body. The Sparks that were harvested by the Eternals all flew in their direction, converging in the darkened sky above the Citadel. If these wayward souls were seeking salvation among the clouds, they would not find it. All that greeted them was a swirling vortex, powerful enough to siphon each errant Spark from the sky into the large, golden gem that hovered between Bolas’ curved horns.

The Elder Dragon looked different as well. Liliana did not know if it was from the Elderspell or the absorption of the Sparks, but Nicol Bolas had changed. His scales were no longer a rustic gold. Now, they were a foreboding shade of black, with only hints of deep blue and purple to distinguish his form against the blackened sky. His eyes, normally reptilian and full of venomous superiority, were now brimming with blue light, which seemed to grow brighter with each Spark. Liliana might have thought this was a different dragon altogether, were it not for the unmistakable, vile aura he exuded with every thought.

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t see the beauty in all this.” She tried to keep her voice cool, her words detached, the way that, up until recently, had come so naturally. “So, what exactly is this?” Even without his immense psychic ability, Liliana could tell that Bolas was not fooled, as a singular huff of amusement escaped his nostrils.

_THIS IS THE ELDERSPELL. AN ANCIENT MAGIC, EVEN OLDER THAN I, DESIGNED TO GIVE ITS WIELDER POWER BEYOND MEASURE. IT WAS LOCKED AWAY BY A SECT OF LONG-DEAD PLANESWALKERS, ITS COMPONENTS SCATTERED TO THE CORNERS OF THE MULTIVERSE. IT TOOK MILLENIA TO FIND THE SPELL, THEN ANOTHER MILLENIA TO MAKE ITS POWER MY OWN. BUT NOW, I CAN USE IT TO RECLAIM WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE._

Liliana folded her arms across her chest, a seeming act of disinterest to disguise her unease. “Well, that’s rather vague. I don’t think I fully understand.”

A harsh, condescending laugh echoed through her brain, chilling her blood with each reverberation. _YOU ARE NOT HERE TO UNDERSTAND. YOU ARE HERE TO COMMAND THE ETERNALS._ MY _ETERNALS. THEY WILL FIND THE PLANESWALKERS AND RETRIEVE THEIR SPARKS FOR ME. ALL YOU MUST DO IS KEEP THEM MOVING UNTIL EVERY LAST PLANESWALKER HAS BEEN CULLED._

“I just…” Liliana began, but was unable to continue. At last, Bolas’ grand scheme was laid bare before her, and she found herself overwhelmed by the influx of information. The sobering truth threatened to drown her brain, muddling her emotional state. Depression, confusion, fury, all coalesced into a murky bog, eager to bury her thoughts. As she fought to stay afloat, her words came slow, each one building in unsure anger. “I did not know that your plan, your ascension, was based on… all this.”

_WOULD IT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IF YOU DID?_

This question pierced Liliana’s heart like a loosed arrow, evacuating the air from her lungs and the blood from her face. Her mind scrambled for an answer but came up with nothing. This lapse, no matter how small, was enough to plunge it deep beneath the swampy muck.

“I…I…” she desperately stuttered, trying to wring any sort of answer from the creases of her brain. No bubbles broached the thick surface, leaving her with nothing but frustration.

This quagmire of emotion was only made stronger by Bolas’ obvious amusement. _YOU NEEDN’T RESPOND. I THINK WE BOTH KNOW THE TRUE ANSWER. OUR WAYS OF THINKING ARE, AFTER ALL, SO VERY SIMILAR._

If Bolas’ first comment were an arrow, then this one was a cannonball. The psychic words sent physical tremors throughout her body, nearly enough to upturn her stomach. She could not tell if this was a passing thought for Bolas or a deliberate action to push her deeper in the mud. Regardless of the intent, these quakes were enough to dredge her thoughts back to the surface. The melancholy, doubt, and frustration fled from her conscious thoughts, leaving only a smoldering anger at the damnable dragon.

Her arms fell straight by her sides, gloved hands balling into tight fists. “We are nothing alike,” she spat, drenching every word in as much toxicity as possible. Looking up at Bolas’ face, even through the distorting magics of the Elderspell, she could see a smirk form on his scaled lips.

 _OH, IS THAT SO?_ His tone was more jovial than before. Clearly, he was enjoying what little, impotent disobedience Liliana could muster. _UNACCEPTANCE CANNOT CHANGE TRUTH TO FALSEHOOD, LILIANA. YOU AND I HAVE A SHARED FATE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY OR THINK. THERE ARE ONLY A HANDFUL OF PLANESWALKERS HERE TODAY THAT UNDERSTAND WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. SOON, IT WILL BE ONLY YOU AND I._

_THE MENDING, IT STOLE JUST AS MUCH FROM YOU AS IT DID FROM ME. I HAVE SEEN YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR DREAMS. YOU STILL REMEMBER WHEN PLANESWALKERS WERE ALL-POWERFUL, WHEN WE WERE IMMORTAL, WHEN WE COULD RULE OVER THE OTHER PITIOUS LIFE IN THE MULTIVERSE WITH JUST A FRACTION OF OUR ABILITIES. WHEN IT ALL LEFT, YOU STILL YEARNED FOR IT, JUST AS I DID. YOU DID WHATEVER YOU COULD TO REGAIN THAT POWER, JUST AS I HAVE. YOU HAD NO FAMILY, NO FRIENDS, NO LOVE. THEY WERE ONLY PAWNS, AND YOU READILY SACRIFICED THEM TO YOUR OWN ENDS, JUST AS I AM DOING NOW. YOUR LUST FOR THAT POWER, TO TASTE GODHOOD ONE MORE TIME, IS WHAT LED YOU HERE, TO THIS MOMENT. I DEAL NOT IN FAITH, MERELY FACT._

With each word that bellowed from Bolas’ mind, Liliana’s stoked temperament cooled until, by the end, she felt numb. Bolas did not need tricks or deception at this point. All he needed to do was hold up a mirror, to let Liliana look into her own eyes and see the reptilian reflection. This specter of introspection had haunted her throughout the day, but it was Bolas’ voice that allowed it to slip in once again.

She refused, however, to go down without a fight. Her fury was nigh depleted, but she gathered what was left to formulate a response, steeped now in a shaky indignance.

“I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of, but I would never do something as horrible as this. My deals were my own.”

To her immense surprise, she felt Bolas nod in agreement at her assertion. _INDEED, WE ARE NOT QUITE THE SAME. WHILE OUR GOALS ARE ULTIMATELY ENTWINED, LILIANA, YOU LACK THE CONVICTION TO MAKE THEM A REALITY._

Whatever knee-jerk relief she felt at Bolas’ initial statement instantly evaporated in the face of his second claim. The mental whiplash from the conversation was leaving her fatigued, and the only response she could manage was a single, haughty “What?”

 _YOU SEEK POWER,_ the dragon continued, barely noticing Liliana’s reply, _AND YET YOU ARE UNWILLING TO DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO ACHIEVE IT. YOU MADE YOUR LITTLE DEALS WITH THOSE DEMONS, BUT YOU NEVER SOUGHT ANYTHING MORE. EVEN NOW, YOU REFUSE YOUR AMBITION. YOU SHRINK FROM THE ELDERSPELL, YOU RESIST THE POWER OF THE CHAIN VEIL, AND YOU STILL DARE TO DEFY ME HOWEVER YOU CAN._

Liliana’s heart dropped to her heels. An immediate fear response flashed across her face, luckily obscured by the glowing links of the Veil. She swallowed hard, desperate to tamp down any lingering panic, before offering a masked retort.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

There was a pause, and for a moment, Liliana thought her deception was successful. The illusion did not last long, however, as Bolas merely needed time to muster a disappointed sigh.

_I’M BEGINNING TO FIND YOUR ATTEMPTS AT DECEIT RATHER BORING. YOU SHOULD KNOW BY NOW THAT YOU CANNOT HIDE ANYTHING FROM ME. EVEN FROM WITHIN THE CITADEL, I COULD SEE YOUR INCONSEQUENTIAL DEFIANCE._

“What do you mean?” Liliana insisted, tensing every muscle in her face and neck to keep her words from wavering.

_I SEE YOUR COMMANDS TO THE DREADHORDE. YOU OFFER AS LITTLE AGENCY AS POSSIBLE, KEEPING THEM OUT OF BUILDINGS AND SINGULARLY FOCUSED SO THAT OTHERS MAY ESCAPE. I HAVE SEEN IT SINCE YOU FIRST TOOK CONTROL, AND IF THIS CHILDISH RESISTANCE MATTERED TO MY PLANS, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO A SWIFT END LONG AGO._

Her brow furrowed, and she let a quick line of curses fly from under her breath. Some were aimed that the bastard dragon leering over her, lording his hold on her, but most went directly back to her. This whole time, she had assumed that what she was doing was a loophole, a way to fight against her contract-holder within the wording of the deal. Now, to know that she did not breach the contract simply because of how insignificant her actions were, it left her utterly deflated.

Silence fell on the Citadel’s roof. Liliana had no sarcastic retort or veiled threat this time. Her arms now hung limp by her sides, the strength needed to keep her fingers curled into fists having dissipated. Her posture sagged, the purple dress that had always been her favorite now feeling like a cumbersome suit of armor. A bitterness, like that of a foul herbal medicine, welled in her mouth, but she barely had the energy to grimace at the sensation. Her eyes, still suffused with necromantic energy and hidden behind the Chain Veil, stayed trained on Bolas. Here, doused in darkness and brimming with stolen life, she saw him for what he truly was. She had seen monsters and demons of all kinds in her life. She thought she had known what evil was, how it looked and sounded and acted. Now, she saw its true, snarling face.

Though Liliana’s eyes were still trained on Bolas, the Elder Dragon’s attention was elsewhere. He raised a claw to his face, staring intently at his empty palm. In an instant, his eyes flared, and his hand became engulfed by a rust-colored cloud of magic. It bathed the rooftop in a strange, metallic energy, something that Liliana had never felt from Bolas’ magic previously. Before she could say anything, the Citadel began to shake beneath her feet. She broke her gaze in time to see that, just behind the dragon, the obsidian was rising from the rooftop. It twisted and bent, horrible screeching emanating from the force, until its final form was revealed: a large, pyramidal throne, hovering just above the Citadel.

Once it was completed, the magic in Bolas’ hand dispersed, and with a powerful flap of his wings, Bolas leapt off the roof. He hovered for a moment before landing on the newly furnished seat. He kept his wings stretched, the thick membrane flexing in the wind, and a smile crept onto his face.

 _AH, THAT IS MUCH BETTER,_ his voice once again erupted in Liliana’s mind. _NOW I MAY PROPERLY GAZE UPON WHAT WILL SOON BE MINE._

Even in her dazed state, this sight was enough to grab her attention. Her strength returned momentarily, long enough for her to puzzle over what she had just seen.

“I thought Tezzeret built the Citadel. Since when can you do that?”

 _THIS IS THE TRUE NATURE OF THE ELDERSPELL,_ he rumbled. _THE SPARK OF A PLANESWALKER CONTAINS MORE THAN JUST ENERGY. IT HAS THEIR YEARS, ALL THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL THEY HAVE ACCUMULATED OVER THEIR INFINITESIMAL LIVES. WITH EVERY SPARK HARVESTED, I GAIN MORE POWER, NEW POWER THAT I DID NOT HAVE BEFORE. THAT SPELL, I BELIEVE IT CAME FROM A BELENON METALLURGIST. NOW, IT IS MINE TO DO WITH AS I PLEASE, AND SOON, TOO, WILL THE SPELLS AND ABILITIES OF ALL THE PLANESWALKERS HERE TODAY._

As Bolas laughed to himself, delighted by both the power he now wielded and the power soon to come, Liliana could only stare in abject horror. Her mind bounced between the information Bolas had provided and the view from the Eternals, still tearing through the city and extracting whatever Sparks came into their field of vision. A dreadful realization crept its way into her mind, and she needed considerable resolve to try and keep it from Bolas’ prying eyes.

_He can feel them. Just like I can, for that moment where the Eternal absorbs the Spark. Except for him, it’s not just a flash. Every planeswalker that’s died, he has their souls trapped. I could feel their pain, so he can too. He just doesn’t care. The cost of power…_

Her thoughts trailed off as she heard a draconic grumble cross her mind. She quickly swept the sentiment away as Bolas addressed her, this time his jocularity replaced by an even, business-like tone.

_RETURN TO YOUR DUTIES, LILIANA. THE GATEWATCH SHOULD SOON BE REACHING THEIR DESTINATIONS. PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE NEXT WAVE, AND TAKE CARE FOR OUR IMPORTANT ARRIVALS. THOSE RECALCITRANT FOOLS SHALL SEE THAT THE ENDGAME HAS ALREADY COMMENCED._

There was a pause after Bolas’ command. Liliana stood in silence, offering no response besides the churning emotions in her mind. Her gaze stayed on the Elder Dragon, and she could feel her anger beginning to kindle once more behind her eyes. She felt her muscles tense, and for a moment, she could almost feel her body ready to take a contentious step forward. This never came to be, as Bolas’ eyes fell to her, his eyebrows crooked and his teeth visible between parted lips.

 _WELL?_ he sneered, the timbre of his voice shaking her with a mixture of expectance and sadism. It was enough for her, as she felt her coiled muscles unwind. Her gaze fell to the ground, and a belabored sigh hissed through the Veil.

“It shall be done.”

As always, she left off any honorific from her answer, but this was no longer borne from rebellion. It was merely resignation. As Bolas gave an affirmative huff, Liliana turned away from him, resuming her position looking over the city. She swept over the shadowed skyline, only illuminated by the countless wisps of energy sailing towards her, each one twinkling with a distinctive light. She stared out at the Sparks for a few seconds before taking in a deep breath and turning her attention back to the Eternals.

The gruesome images from before once again filled her conscious mind, identical scenes of death still playing out across the city. She tried to divert her attention away from these sights. After Bolas’ last statement, something new had been nagging at Liliana’s brain. She jumped from Eternal to Eternal, looking for what she wanted to see, and it did not take long to find them.

The Gatewatch still stood, at least for the moment. Liliana nearly let out a gasp as she found them. Chandra and Nissa were still making their way to Vitu-Ghazi. Ajani was still assisting on the outskirts, his planeswalker posse now flanked by a battalion of Simic’s mutated soldiers. While she could not directly see him, Jace’s telepathic influence was still cutting a clear trail to Nivix. They all seemed far worse for wear, with bleeding wounds, torn clothes, and waning strength marking their struggles, but they were still fighting. Still trying to thwart Bolas, unaware that their plan was already a part of his.

Then, her eyes found Gideon. The view only came in brief flashes, as he was now airborne, riding atop a pegasus high over the battleground just outside the Planar Bridge. She caught glimpses of him through the eyes of Eternalized avens and angels, but no matter what came his way, they did not last long. Their claws and staffs could not pierce his indestructible aura, and if they were close enough to strike him, he could strike back. Each Eternal fell with one swing from his sword, a stinging sensation tapping at Liliana’s skull with each severed connection. No matter how many she sent, no matter what threats swooped down onto him, Gideon was ready to rebuke their advances.

Liliana put a hand to her chest, her fingers grasping at the fringe of her dress. Her eyes darted between whatever airborne Eternals were available, desperate to keep Gideon’s glowing visage in her field of vision. As she stared at him, she felt tears, already in the process of streaking down her face. Though their eyes never met, she felt compelled to call to him. It was only in her mind, and barely above a mental whisper, but the sentiment resonated with each swipe of Gideon’s blade.

_Keep fighting. Don’t stop now. For once in your life, you stupid slab of beef, prove me wrong and beat him._


End file.
